A god runs amuck
by umbria firewing
Summary: A certain white wolf gets sent to Soul Society and begins running amuck. Unfortunately for Soul Society that wolf is none other then Okami Amaterasu. Plans and order are thrown out the window as Seireitei copes with something that they cannot understand. Chaos and hilarity ensue. I do not own any characters but my own. Editing in progress
1. prologue

You are walking through the park at night when you see a figure on one of the benches. He is looking up into the sky. He seems to sense your presence and beckons you closer.

"Hiya. Can you see any constellations from here?" He asks.

You nod and begin pointing them out.

At some point in the next few moments the figure looks at you again.

"D' ya mind if I tell ya a story?" He asks.

You nod, then the two of you sit down and he begins to talk.


	2. Tea time with talking cats and wolf gods

A Shinigami was on her way to a shop when she felt that she was being watched. This was odd. Mainly because it was late at night and there was no one around. She takes a quick look at her surroundings but doesn't notice anything. She sighs and resumes walking.

It didn't take long before the sensation of being watched became the sense of being followed. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she got chills. This made her nervous for several reasons. What ever was following her had to be powerful to make her this uneasy. She had gone for a while without being detected. She knew she was on borrowed time, but she didn't expect to be found so quickly.

She took a deep breath and decided that she may as well deal with it sooner rather then later and turned around.

...

...

...

It was a wolf.

Rukia sighed in relief knowing that she had more time. Ordinarily she'd be suspicious but Karakura had so many strange things happening that a white wolf wandering about was practically normal. She figured that it was either one of Yoruichi's friends or something like that bird from earlier.

The wolf cocked its head, a little confused at the girl's sudden relief.

Rukia began walking again and the wolf followed. She took another look at the wolf and took a detour. She walked into a bakery and came out a few moments later with a piece of cake. Rukia slowly approached the wolf and set the cake down in front of it before running off. The last thing she needed was to be caught without a defense by a hollow that follows the wolf, or something like that.

The wolf looked at the cake and began eating it. Had this one been an ordinary wolf she would have gotten sick later. But she was not. She ate the smoothly with out getting crumbs all over her muzzle and frosting all over the ground. WHen she looked up, the girl had gone. It didn't matter though, because the wolf knew where she was heading.

* * *

A man wearing a hat and wooden clogs was about to leave when the door opened. "Hello Rukia-san. I was just about to go out."

"Urahara. I need you to fix my phone!" Demanded Rukia as she waved it around. "One of Ichigo's classmates dropped it down the stairs!"

Urahara sighed and took her phone. "Who's your friend by the way?" He gestured to the wolf sitting behind her.

Rukia took one glance before nearly jumping out of her skin. "You-! But-! How-? I left you by the bakery! How did you get here so fast? What are you doing here anyway?" She stammered. "That wolf must've followed me here."

"I see… Well, come inside and bring your friend with you."

Rukia groaned and walked into the store with the white wolf following behind her.

Kisuke had just sent Rukia back with her newly repaired phone.

The wolf had not followed her back this time. It stayed in the same spot it had been before Rukia had left.

Kisuke knew this was no ordinary wolf. Ordinary wolves did not follow people. They definitely did not stroll into shops and not look at anything. If anything, they would've at least tried to chase the cat. This one in particular did nothing.

In fact knew he had seen it somewhere before but where?

"Hey Kisuke! I found where you saw the wolf" Came a voice from another room.

A few seconds later, a black cat came to him with a large scroll. Upon opening it Kisuke smiled. "Indeed you have Yoruichi. Indeed you have"

It was a very old painting that he had acquired. It was labeled **Issun the Wandering Artist's Interpretation of the Great God Amaterasu**. He had gotten it shortly after he had found the base for his Hougyouku. The painting was that of a familiar white wolf with a flaming green reflector on its back and red markings on its face.

He looked up to see the wolf grinning at him. If he squinted he could see light pink marks on its face and shoulders.

_"It took you long enough."_ It seemed to say.

Kisuke and Yoruichi looked at each other for a few moments before leaving and going to another room. The two of them began to formulate a plan. They may very well have a godlike being sitting just outside the room and it would be foolish to let the opportunity slip by. Yoruichi could see the gears turn inside that crazy head of his. "I know what you are thinking. If the one from the painting is really sitting out there then we can save ourselves a lot of trouble." protested Yoruichi "But tricking a being beyond our comprehension is not a good idea."

* * *

In the end the cat's protests fell upon deaf ears and a plan was formed. Nonetheless now was not the time for action. It was the time for tea. Yoruichi went back into the room where the wolf still sat and began complaining about the shopkeeper.

It was the strangest thing, because while the wolf never spoke like, Yoruichi felt as if she was talking to a worldly young woman much like herself. One who called herself Amaterasu. The feeling did not change when Kisuke joined them with tea.

The three of them, (Or rather, the cat and Shop keeper) chattered away into the night about old times, human flaws, and the Stagnation of a place full of Shinigami nobles.

When Amaterasu expressed interest in going to that place, Kisuke merely smiled and told her. "Lady Ama I can open a gate near that place. But you will have to find away in yourself. I have to stay and watch a bunch of kids."

Amaterasu more or less agreed and she ran through the portal into the afterlife.


	3. I am NOT a Man!

**Author's Note - If things are OOc point them out and ill try to fix it. It's been a while since I watched Bleach**

* * *

The shopkeeper was half right, mainly because near and far are relative. Amaterasu stepped out of the gate several miles from her intended destination and into a riot. She saw with amusement that the riot almost immediately ceased upon somebody pointing her out. She figured that she had better not press her luck and took off running.

The people that she left behind in the dust on the other hand simply blink and return to bludgeoning one another over some food.

The afterlife is not what most people believed it to be. It was more akin to traveling to another world then actually dying. Death in this world was still a very real thing and Amaterasu had no doubt that much bloodshed occurred daily. This should have fazed her, but it did not. Life regardless of location is always a battle either with others, the world, or one self.

Amaterasu noticed that she had inadvertently caused mass hysteria. It was definitely a change from the world of the living, mostly because living people tended to ignore anything too out of the ordinary. She was certainly not going to reveal her human shape, it would be a waste of time to do so since nobody here would really notice.

She spied her destination in the distance. It was hard to miss since it was simply a large wall. It also had a peculiar smell to it. The scent was very similar to that of a pond that had remained still long enough for disease and filth to grow in it. It was time for the winds of change to begin blowing.

Amaterasu drew a spiral in the air and took off as a near by leaf was blown into the sky.

* * *

Amaterasu spent quite awhile bounding from roof to roof before arriving at the walls of Seireitei. She spied a giant guarding the gate and snorted at the silliness. The cat was right, it appeared the the long period of peace and caused the intelligence of the interior to drop.

It was quite obvious that the giant was intended to intimidate outsiders and deter them from entering the fortress. It was an honorable giant and would likely allow anyone who could defeat him in battle through.

If the people inside truly intended to keep newcomers out then they should've kept the giant on the other side of the door. If outsiders couldn't challenge him then he obviously would not open the door. At the very least they could've used a ruthless barbarian instead of a polite well mannered one.

Amaterasu had a decision to make, how was she going to go about entering the citadel? She could do it the old fashioned way and challenge the giant. She could blow him up. She could dig her way under the walls. She could also cut her way through.

In the end the wolf decided to have a little fun.

* * *

The next day Seireitei was greeted with an in explicably heavy fog followed by an explosion just as the sun was reaching its zenith. The effect was immediate. The shinigami were in chaos. Hundreds of them ran about as if they were chickens missing their heads. They were so busy repairing the gate that had been suspiciously blown up by three large bombs that they did not notice the canine walking over and down the wall.

* * *

A captain and lieutenant meeting had been in session when the explosion was heard. The captains immediately became irritated with being stuck in the meeting longer then necessary. It was followed shortly after by a rather ruffled looking officer.

"Someone has broken in to Seireitei!" He cried.

The head captain was about to dismiss the officer when he spoke again.

"WE DID NOT PICK UP ANY REIATSU OF ANY KIND! ITS SOMETHING THATS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE"

That had the effect of immediately silencing everyone in the room. No reiatsu? That couldn't be right. Everything in Soul Society had SOME sort of reiatsu.

"…. I see" Said the head captain. "Captains! Lieutenants! You are dismissed from this meeting! GET THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL BEFORE IT GETS OUT OF HAND!"

* * *

Amaterasu was having the time of her life. At first she had been a little disappointed that nobody could sense her presence. That was no surprise. She was neither dead, nor was she mortal. The shinigami could no more sense her presence then a blind man paint could paint a rainbow. The only sense they could use were their mortal, human senses.

Amaterasu looked down from one of the buildings to see several figures in white mingling amongst the ones in black.

She wondered how long it would take them to notice that she was here. Amaterasu wasn't about to make it easy for them to find her either. Whenever someone got close, they would find them selves suddenly drenched in water. Battle hungry warriors would find them selves in the middle of heavy fog.

*SMASH* went one of the pots.

"I heard something coming from over there!" Cried a young girl as she rounded the corner.

She only caught a glimpse of white fur going over the wall before she was surrounded by a heavy fog and found herself getting blown backwards by an exceptionally strong gust of wind.

* * *

A bald shinigami ran down a corridor towards the source of the commotion when he tripped over something. He got up and turned around to see what he tripped over and he saw a giant white wolf with a giant orange, seven pointed blade on its back. The wolf grinned up at him before getting up and running at a wall.

Before his very eyes, the wolf swung its blade and cut through the wall and disappeared.

The bald man stared at the missing wall for a few moments before standing up and running after it. That wolf had been stronger then some of his fellow officers and he wanted a fight. "Come back here and fight me like a man!" He shouted.

Amaterasu rolled her eyes when she heard him call. -_Of course I won't. I am NOT a man_-


	4. Meet the captains part 1

Amaterasu had used up too much ink to disappear on Ikkaku. She was a little annoyed at herself for switching out the golden ink pot for her fire tablet. She had to give the shinigami here credit though. The soldiers here are much more effective then some of the ones she used to fight. For instance the one pursuing her had no trouble keeping up even when she flipped over him and ran the other way.

It wasn't until she kicked some dirt into his eyes that she was able to get away.

She rounded a corner and sat down for a breather when she was greeted by a shrill voice.

"Wow! You're almost the size of a pony!"

Amaterasu turned her head and saw a cheerful looking girl. She had bright pink hair and she was bouncing on her toes.

"I saw you in some of the paintings in Byakkun's house. But you're much bigger, and you had more stripes." she chirped. "I think I'll call you pony! No, stripy. Because of you're red stripes."

Amaterasu nodded in acknowledgement and stood up to keep going.

The girl apparently took it upon herself to follow, because she climbed onto the wolf's back. _  
_

Amaterasu stared at her for a few moments before trotting off again.

* * *

The girl either wanted to give her a tour, or had no sense of direction. Amaterasu suspected that it was the latter.

The two girls had spent quite a bit of the day traversing through Seireitei. The girl would point in various directions and Amaterasu would follow. Between the two of them they had probably pilfered a year's worth of candy (For the girl) and meat pastries (For herself). Amaterasu made a note to herself that she would return to the places and leave payment as soon as she found a place to leave the girl.

"Hey Stripey! I wanna show you to Kenny. Lets go find him. Hya pony!" She commanded and dug her heels into the wolf's side.

Amaterasu stopped short so fast that the girl all but fell off. Amaterasu was perfectly fine with being nicknamed. She had received many over her travels and they went from Snowy to Wolfy To Pupgang Amadeus Gandalfr. The last one being from someone who thought himself a theatre expert. Amaterasu was also perfectly fine with being ridden. She had carried many people in her lifetime. Some of them were willing, but most of them were not. Her rider would either sit just behind her shoulders or on top of her reflector.

What she was not going to accept was being treated like a toy. Animal form or not, she had dignity and she was not about to let a child take that from her. She would make that understood even if she didn't speak.

"Whats wrong? Why did you stop?" Asked the girl.

Amaterasu only turned her head back stared at her in response.

Yachiru, who was not in fact used to being chastised by anyone other then her Guardian, became very uncomfortable under the wolf's gaze. She had gotten the message loud and clear.

_-You are to treat me with respect. That is not an option-_

* * *

In another place a solemn looking woman observed the two from a monitor.

"Captain Kurotsuchi. It appears the wolf is able to subdue lieutenant Kusajishi."

The room she was became silent immediately. Everyone else in the room rushed to the screen to see the miracle.

"Hn. Interesting." Said a particularly odd looking fellow. "Nemu! Take what you need and bring that wolf back here. It has piqued my curiosity!"

* * *

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki had spent an unusually long day at his office coordinating the searches and repairs. It was a welcome distraction from the news he had gotten yesterday. His little sister had been found. Her powers a mere fraction of what they were before she left and a human had developed soul reaper abilities. She had broken a serious law and Central 46 was not happy. Yesterday he had spent a fair bit of time trying to find some way to protect Rukia until he nearly succumbed to exhaustion.

Since the sun was still high in the sky he decided to step out and join the search himself. He had sensed Kusajishi just out side his door and he prepared the pork bun in his pocket for what ever she may be doing. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

...

...

...

He was still rendered speechless by what was out side.

Yachiru was outside and sitting on the back of a white wolf, or was it a woman? How in god's name did Yachiru get a wolf into Seireitei?

"Hi Byakushi! This is Stripey!" She chirped.

The supposed wolf woman only sighed in response and gave him a tired look._ -You too?-_

Why was Yachiru calling this one Stripey? Wait, When he looked a little closer he could see faint pink markings on its head and shoulders.

"Where did you find it?" He asked, not entirely sure if he wanted an answer.

"I thought Stripey was a pony when I saw her" came the reply.

The wolf and captain shared a moment of mutual exasperation in Yachiru's silly and somewhat irritating antics.

He thought about reporting the girls but remembered that Yachiru made up half the pair.

He turned around and shut the door behind him.

* * *

The eleventh captain was grinning. His third seat had just gotten back to him and told him about strong snowy white wolf. The wolf had apparently blown through a several walls while it was running about and kept giving the shinigami the slip. He was hearing rumors that the creature was mysterious and powerful and wielded a giant glaive. It had been a while since he'd had a good fight. Wolf or not, he was going to see what it was made of.

He hoped the hardest part would be fighting the mutt and not finding it.

He was not disappointed when he found the wolf in a clearing. He was annoyed that his lieutenant was sitting on it though.

"Oy. Yachiru, get off the mutt. It can't fight with you sittin' on it." He grunted.

"But Kenny. Stripey isn't a mutt. She's a wolf and she's fluffy." She protested as she hopped off.

"Eh, whatever." He sized up the wolf and took a few swings. "Now fight me wolf!"

The wolf merely sidestepped the first blow and parried the rest.

Kenpachi was impressed. He hadn't expected the mutt to actually parry his blows. He swung at it a few more times. a little harder each swing and got the same response right up until the last blow. Somehow the seven pointed blade had been replaced with a glowing blue shield. When it blocked him, he could feel the bones in his arm rattling.

The wolf would not actively strike at him or stop grinning, which was a little irritating.

"Fight back dammit!" He barked. "And stop smiling at me!"

Amaterasu was amused. This was likely the one that had raised the hyperactive girl. Neither of them really respected boundaries, had any manners, or had hidden agendas. Their propensity for destruction was also a shared quality. She suspected that Gekigami and Bakugami would like these two and they would bond over their shared fondness for destruction and battle.

She knew better then most that even the fiercest were excellent fathers. She also knew that the battle hungry captain was more driven by boredom then ambition. He wasn't boasting of his strength, nor was he announcing to the heavens that he was invincible. If anything he was modest, he simply stated what he was. Not bad qualities to pass onto children.

Amaterasu twitched her ears when she heard mechanical whirring. She stopped grinning when small robots got closer to her location. She growled when she smelled chemicals leaking out of them. Three lines and a few dozen broken robots later, Amaterasu found herself being surrounded by fake naked people and the lieutenant of squad 12.

The eleventh captain was not happy about having his "fight" interrupted and was cutting them down. Still they were about to be over whelmed when three large bombs appeared and blew them up. Unfortunately the noise had attracted the attention of other captains and when they approached they saw her weapon disappear with a sudden deluge.

The weapon did not reappear when the rain stopped either and to Kenpachi and Yachiru's amusement the wolf started fighting in a way that highly resembled Kung Fu. It kicked down the woman and disappeared down an alley.

* * *

"Stupid woman!" Cursed the 12th division captain.

The wolf had destroyed the cameras before they could get any conclusive data. The scientists in the room had seen it manipulate the world and couldn't get any conclusive data other then the fact the changes happened. They wished that they could get some data soon, preferably before their captain got into an experimenting mood.

"Send more drones after that creature!" Came the order.

* * *

"Interesting. Very interesting. "

A creature with powers like that would prove very helpful for his plans.

"Gin. Test that beast. Convert it to our side if you are able. Get rid of it if you are not."

* * *

Amaterasu was not happy with herself. She had gotten carried away again and used up all her ink again. She even had to use her "wolf kung fu" to fight. Now she had robots AND shinigami on her tail. She dug under a fence and popped up in front of a very surprised young woman.

Rangiku Matsumoto was on her way to get a drink when she saw a wolf spring from the ground. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She quickly got over her surprise and began petting the wolf. "Aren't you the cutest thing? " she cooed "Your white as snow. I bet my captain would LOVE you."

Amaterasu on the other hand could not believe what she was seeing. The woman had HUGE breasts! How on earth did she manage that kind of weight jiggling about all day? Why were they that big? How did they not fall out of her clothes? They bounced a lot. She couldn't stop looking at them.

Rangiku was completely oblivious to the wolf's stares. She let the wolf into the barracks and carefully snuck it to just out side of her captain's office. She gestured for the wolf to wait while she went to fetch her captain.

Amaterasu sat in the hall and waited...

And waited...

and waited...

She couldn't stand waiting any more and pushed the door open herself.

* * *

"Matsumoto! I am up to my neck in paper work! I am not going to stop just so you can show me a drawing!" Gritted the captain with out looking up.

"But captain! It's not a drawing! There is a real wolf sitting out side and it's tame!" Insisted Rangiku

"Matsumoto! You've had too much to drink!"

The door slid open and Amaterasu walked in.

Matsumoto quickly gestured for her to get back out when-

"I'm busy! Go away!" Said the captain.

The wolf looked around before realizing he was talking to her. She made her most human sound yet. "Huh?" -_Me?- _

"Yes lady. You. There is a mutant wolf running around and blowing things up in Seireitei. I have too much work to catch up on. Unless you've got information you want to give me about those things, go away_._ And take something for that sore throat of yours_. _You sound like a dog." he insisted.

_-Um. Alright.-_ Amaterasu wasn't quite sure what to make of the boy so she figured she may as well do as he said. She left and shut the door behind her. Leaving behind a speechless Rangiku and a busy captain behind.

* * *

That was probably the first normal reaction she had received since she arrived at soul society. The sun was about to set and Amaterasu didn't feel like glowing in the moon light just yet so she drew in the sky again. She wondered if anyone noticed the day getting longer.

"That's a pretty interestin' skill ya got there" came a voice.

Amaterasu turned her head and saw someone with a face that heavily resembled an old enemy. His eyes were shut. His hand was wrapped around the hilt of his sword. He intended to kill her, but for what purpose?

She could tell that this guy was hiding something, something very important to him. She kept watching him to see what he would do. She watched, so that she could see his true character.

"Ya know ya ain't really supposed ta be here."

This guy was unsettling, but not malicious. Amaterasu suspected that he cultivated his cold and creepy mask on purpose. There was fire too, perhaps a passion for cunning and trickery or some other subject.

"I can't have ya runnin' around an' messing with Seireitei."

There was also fear. But not fear of herself. It was the intense fear of loss and fear of failure. This was probably why his eyes were always shut tightly.

"An ya obviously ain't gonna leave-"

What she saw most, was resolve. This one had dedicated his whole life for something. He had devoted time, and effort for one purpose and he was terrified of failing.

"Tell ya what. If you can beat me. I'll leave ya alone"

He drew his sword and pointed it at her. She was unafraid.

"Ikorose, Shinso"

There was a bright flash of green where the sword hit and Gin felt a sharp jolt in his shoulder.

When the flash subsided the wolf was still there, in fazed and unharmed. She got up and trotted away Leaving a wordless message.

Gin's facial expression never changed but inside he was shaking. In the few moments the wolf had made him feel small. It was like all of his layers had been ripped away and his soul was laid bare for it to see.

Not even Aizen made him feel like that.


	5. Meet the captains Part 2

Amaterasu hadn't gone far before she got addressed again. She was resting in what appeared to be private training grounds when something came up behind her.

"Good day my lady." Said a masked giant.

The giant bowed in deference and gave her a bone.

She took the bone and bowed in response. _-Why do you hide your face?-_

"I-I do not wish to show it" He stammered, not lifting his head from the ground.

_\- I see. Rise and tell me your name-_

"Saijin Komamura" he said as he stood up.

_-Though much has changed, it is good to see your kind walking about again. Even if you are the only one-_ Amaterasu looked at Komamura for a few moments, trying to see just how much of the oina tribe was left.

"Thank you my lady." He hesitated for a few moments, caught between his loyalty to the head captain and a goddess that his clan worshipped. "My greatest apologies, but I must report you to my superior"

Amaterasu only nodded _-Do as you must-_

* * *

Soi Fon was not happy.

The onmitsukido had failed to capture the wolf, spectacularly. Multiple times. Each time it would give them the slip.

The excuses she got were all outlandish. "I got blinded by the sun" or " A strong gust of wind threw me into a pit" or the most ridiculous of all, "It got foggy all of a sudden and I lost my pants."

It was humiliating. How could a bright white, 4 legged mammal elude the executive militia of all things? It was WHITE! Reiatsu or no Reiatsu they should've been able to track it at the very least!

Eventually, Soi Fon had gotten tired of the failures and joined the search herself. Much to her chagrin she had to compete with robots from the 12th divisions and the crazy 11th captain. There were plenty of casualties. The drones were flying everywhere spraying some sort of knock out gas and kenpachi was just knocking people around as he ran.

She had been searching for hours and had yet to even see the wolf… Until she turned around.

Soi Fon yelped in surprise when she saw the wolf sitting right next to her. "I-Imposible" She muttered. How did that wolf sneak up on her? The only one that could possibly do that was… "Yoruichi-sama?"

"_HUH?" _The wolf stared at her in dismay. _-What!?-_

"Of course I'd recognize you!" Hissed Soi Fon "I want answers!"

The woman was on fire. She lunged at the wolf, who dodged and ran for the hills. The Woman gritted her teeth and went after it.

"What are you doing?!" She threw a Kido charged punch. "Answer me! WHY HAVE YOU RETURNED!?"

She kept attacking, throwing everything she had at the wolf. Her surroundings began to look like the 11th division training grounds but she kept attacking.

She couldn't even touch it. "I've pushed myself to the limit these last hundred years. WHY CAN'T I TOUCH YOU?!"

She felt tears form in her eyes. Debris was raining everywhere. The fire inside her was flared hotter then ever. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE?!" She roared after the wolf.

Soi Fon saw the wolf looked at her with sympathetic eyes. Something inside her broke and the fire went out. "Why didn't you take me with you?" Her voice broke on the last two words and she burst into tears.

She sank to her knees and cried. "I would've followed you to the ends of the world.."

The wolf walked over and nuzzled her. She wrapped her arms around the furry beast and wept into its shoulder. She could feel it gently rubbing her back.

* * *

The two remained in that position until Amaterasu heard the drones get closer. She pulled away from Soi Fon who was still sniffling and looked around. She wasn't about to take chances with robots. She gave the poor girl one last pat before dashing away.

There robots were much faster then the first ones she wrecked. She would be impressed if the wasn't the object of their interest.

She made her to the 8th division barracks, but could not escape them. She used cyclone again and flung them in all directions. She heard screams of shock and pain in the distance.

Amaterasu suspected that some of them may have hit people. _-Oh dear-_

She may as well use the noise to keep moving.

Amaterasu padded silently through the barracks. Careful to keep out of people's field of vision. She still managed to startle a few people though.

She spied a room that had a balcony and slipped into it.

The room was empty save for one person sleeping on the ground.

The smell of sake was soaked into the room and the man. That meant that he was often in the presence of alcohol. Since there was no distillery in sight, Amaterasu suspected that this one enjoyed the drink.

Kasugami would probably like him. Both of them seem to be consistently drunk a great deal of the time.

The man stirred and looked at her for a few moments. She looked back at him, then away as he fell asleep again.

Amaterasu snorted lightly and hopped off the balcony.

* * *

Kurotsuchi swore very loudly in his lab for a few moments. He had managed to salvage one of his drones that had taken a sample of the wolf's DNA. He had hoped it would give him some data on the nature of its abilities. He was bitterly disappointed when no anomalies were detected. It only drove him to go after the creature himself. The trouble was the recent flock of drones had been blown all over seireitei and many of them were obstructing their cameras.

* * *

Nanao Ise was NOT panicking. She knew her captain was perfectly capable of handling himself. But that did not stop her from running to him when officers began reporting that a gigantic wolf was seen going into his room.

When she entered she saw her captain looking around the room as if he was looking for someone. " Nanao chan? Did anybody visit?"

"No captain, nobody came to visit." she replied after thinking for a few moments. SHe looked around for any sign that a horse sized wolf had been in the area.

"Then who was that woman?"

"What woman?"

"There was a beautiful woman with white hair here just a minute ago." Shunsui insisted. " She wore a white kimono with red lining."

"You have been drinking too much captain." replied Nanao. "Nobody has been in your room but yourself."

"Mou~ Take a nap with me Nanao chan"

Thwack! "ABSOLUTELY NOT CAPTAIN!"

* * *

The sun was about to set again. This time, Amaterasu was content to let the moon rise. No sense messing with the shinigami clocks more then necessary. She knew that her presence had been reported. She'd go meet Komamura's superior later. It had been a while since she had heard any robots. Hopefully they would give her enough of a break to rearrange her equipment.

She jumped from roof top looking for a calm place to work. It would be dark soon and as bright as she may be in the sun, she would stand out even more at night. Her moon glow was probably Yumigami's revenge for eating her mochi. Honestly, the rabbit ought to know how hard it was to resist moon mochi. It had been some time since she ate some. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

She spied a nice quiet garden with some koi and decided to rest there for the night. She had food she can feed to them.

* * *

Jyushiro Ukitake had been sick for most of his life. Consequently he had spent most of the time lying down in his back yard watching the scenery. His life wasn't boring by any means. Visitors could often attest to the zeal of his third seats for they often tripped over themselves trying to prove their respect. They also squabbled so much that it became a reoccurring joke.

This evening was one of the blessed moments in which his third seats had taken their bickering elsewhere. He even found the strength to sit on the porch and watch the sun set. There was only one part that didn't fit right. He did not recognize the individual sitting under one of his flower trees. It was a woman in a white kimono with dark pink lining. She was busy shoving various objects into her red and gold obi and under the flaming shield on her back. She looked quite ragged actually as if she had been running errands the whole day. He observed the woman yawn and feed his fish.

"Hello there" He called. "You look like you've had a long day. How about we sit and watch the moon together?"

The woman smiled in appreciation as she came and sat next to him.

He noticed that she was tall for a woman, a little bit taller then lieutenant Matsumoto. He also noticed that she was very slim, much like Soi Fon, who led a very active lifestyle. She carried herself like a noble and like a warrior. Her hair was white, just like his, only it seemed to glow in the fading sun. She had a red loop on her forehead that disappeared into her hair. Her eyes were liquid reddish gold and full of intelligence. They gave of the impression that she had seen terrible things but remained hopeful that she had worth. If she was a noble, why hadn't he at least heard of her? He knew that sometimes nobles would have… embarrassing children due to high reiatsu induced fertility troubles but this one didn't appear to be one of them.

"I don't believe I have see you before. I am Jyushiro Ukitake, Captain of the 13th division. May I ask your name?"

But he only received an odd look in response. _-Yes. Of course you may ask. I am called the great god Amaterasu. I don't believe you can hear me-_

The two watched the sun set and the moon began to rise. Ukitake started talking to the woman. She never answered, but he felt like she was paying attention.

"It's terrible. One of my officers had been sent to the human world and then broke the law" He murmured "She's going to be executed."

The woman frowned and nodded in agreement.

"Do you think giving power to a human is worthy of being executed?" The woman looked at him like he was crazy. "I don't either. It may not be right but I trust her judgement. She must've had a good reason for doing so."

The woman looked pensive for a few moments before feeding the koi again. She invited him to do the same.

"Haha I suppose you're right. I will send in an appeal tomorrow. For now lets just enjoy the view. I will have my third seats get us some tea."

As if right on cue two people burst out of the door. "UKITAKE-SAMA I HAVE BROUGHT YOU SOME TEA" They announced at the same time. The two of them froze and glared at each other. Ukitake felt a head ache beginning to form. "I respect him more. I brought the tea first" Insisted a boyish looking girl.

"Yes, but you've brought black tea! Even an idiot knows that green tea is healthier!" Snarked the other

"Don't listen to that idiot Sentaro Ukitake sa- AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Screeched the girl as she noticed what was next to her captain.

"WOLF!" Shouted Sentaro as he pointed next to Ukitake.

Ukitake glanced at the woman next to him and saw the annoyed yet amused expression on her face. The whole situation was almost comical, what with his third seats shouting from across the room and the woman next to him completely silent. He quickly began diffusing the situation. He reprimanded "Now now you two. Don't be rude. This lovely lady is my guest. Her name is.. er…." He took a quick glance at her. He forgot that she had never told him her name. He's have to come up with one on the spot. "Her name is Yukishiro Hanamichi. She is not one for words."

The woman rolled her eyes. _-How unoriginal and how inaccurate. But at least that sounds like a name.-_

His third seats were speechless. "Er… yes captain. Forgive us uh.. Hanamichi- sama." Sentaro began

"Yes, umm… please excuse us for shouting at you Hanamichi- sama." Apologized Kiyone.

"We will leave you two alone now." They both finished at the same time and scurried out of the room.

Ukitake turned to the woman and poured her some tea. "I'm terribly sorry for their rudeness. My third seats are rather protective of me. I assume that since you aren't sputtering indignantly that you are fine with the name i gave you?"

The woman took a cup slowly and with some difficulty and nodded in response. She promptly managed to spill half of her tea everywhere.

He chuckled and watched her fumble with the cup and struggle to clean up the spill. The tea had been wiped up before he could help, which suggested that this was a common occurrence. He suspected that this woman had some sort of nerve disorder. That would explain why she was kept hidden away. If her arms were prone to spasms then even things like writing and eating would result in a mess. It would render things like embroidery and flower arranging difficult if not impossible.

Still, she seemed to be managing well enough if she could wander about undetected. She probably snuck away from her attendants and wandered into his back garden. He poured her another cup, a little less so that it would be harder to spill.

She seemed grateful.

The two of them sat in comfortable silence slowly drinking tea and mopping up the occasional spill until the moon was high.

Eventually Ukitake left and went to get a third pot of tea.

He returned to see that "Yukishiro Hanamichi" had disappeared. In her place there was a hot package wrapped in a very expensive looking bandana.

He put the tea down and untied the bandana to reveal a simple dark mahogany box with a raised crimson circle. When he ran his fingers over the circle he could feel hundreds of flames, intricately carved into it. Curious, he open the box and he was greeted with a huge cloud of steam and a delicious smell.

He looked around trying to find the woman, but there was no sign of anything what so ever.

He looked back at the box. The steam had cleared enough for him to see its contents. The box contained held a light dinner, a small container of vegetable soup, some rice, dumplings, and ohagi. There was a small compartment full of eating utensils.

He looked at the cover of the box, then looked around again. The level of detail in the carving and the quality of the finish screamed high noble house, possibly on par with that of the Shihoin or the Kuchiki clan. He couldn't recognize the crest though. He would have to have someone else look at it tomorrow. He popped one of the dumplings into his mouth. His eyebrows practically went into his hair as he continued to eat.

"Yukishiro Hanamichi" was a good cook. She just left him the best meal he'd ever had.

* * *

Amaterasu was glad Ukitake liked her cooking. It had been a while since she had a chance to practice. It had been even longer since she'd been able to just sit and rest without needing to defend herself. It was rather embarrassing to constantly be spilling tea though. She had enough power that she can manifest physically where her incarnation stood and make herself seen by the spiritually strong. Sadly, her manifestation is unable to interact with anything unless it was her divine instruments.

She had covered a great deal of Seireitei today. Granted she did extend the day a few times and she would have to rectify that for the next few days by ending the day early. She figured she could go see the one in charge now that she knew what places were easy access.

She noted that most places, the leaders would have the view over the others. It seemed that this was the case here as well. She bounced from rooftop to rooftop until she made it to the main entrance. The building itself was no bigger then the others but she could feel a huge amount of power radiating from inside. It was like the moments leading up to the first rediscovery of Moegami.

She jumped over the gate entrance and made her way inside.

The office was rather modern compared to the outside. Amaterasu looked around trying to find out who and where the leader was. She could run around like she had been doing, but that wouldn't give her the opportunity to examine the interior. She clambered up the walls and began walking around that way. It was funny how often people forgot to look above them when they are searching for intruders, or so she thought.

"Young lady, Come down from the ceiling at once!"

Amaterasu looked down to see an old man. It seemed that all the hair on his head had migrated to his beard.

_-Mister orange? Is that you?-_

"No. You are speaking to the head captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto of the first division." came the reply. He was slightly irritated with being addressed in such a comical manner.

_-Were you called Mister Orange at one point? Because you really do look like him-_

"If I was, it would have been more then a two thousand years ago."

_-He has been dead since before Japan forgot the yami era- _She replied pointedly.

"I'm sure plenty of people-"

_-Now that i think about it, you could be a lot of people I've seen, from around the Orochi era to a little after the Yami era.- _Continued Amaterasu. _-You look the most like Mister Orange and Mister Grapefruit though-_

"Look missy, I don't re-" he huffed before being interrupted again.

_-Perhaps you met one of my sons. You seem like the kind of person who would.-_

"I AM CONSTANTLY BEING INTERRUPTED BY A WOLF WOMAN WHO IS STANDING ON THE CEILING AND LOOKING DOWN AT ME. I CANNOT RECALL ANY NICKNAMES FROM WHEN I WAS ALIVE! KINDLY GET DOWN FROM THERE." Boomed the old captain. "YOU ARE TRACKING DIRT IN PLACES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CLEAN"

Yamamoto was no fool. When news of a creature without reiatsu came in he knew the situation would have to be handled delicately. He knew the creature would either be at or above his level with incredible control, or it would be something so alien to them that life as they knew it would change forever. Antagonizing it uselessly would be tremendously dangerous. He had sent the captains a Hell butterfly in case they or they're officers ran into it at some point and many of them did.

He was not surprised when reports from various captains started coming in. They all had completely different things. Ukitake spoke of a mute woman whom his subordinates mistook for a wolf. He also spoke that it left him a small bento box with a crest on it. Kurotsuchi had been infuriated when he couldn't get any information other then the creature could reign in Kusajishi. Kenpachi's butterfly only had one sentence "Damn wolf is strong and it won't fight me."

That was all but confirmed when Komamura's came and explained it's nature to him. While he may not have been nervous, he definitely breathed a sigh of relief when he found out that it was benevolent if rather destructive.

He knew that gods were powerful. Stories of them destroying a nation and rebuilding it had been around even longer then he had. There were so many stories that it was nearly impossible for them to keep track of them. And with the addition of fiction into the mix, the oldest stories of gods and spirits had been all but forgotten. The fact that no one but Komamura was able to identify the intruder was a testament to that.

The creature that had caused as much destruction to Seireitei as Lieutenant Kusajishi on a sugar binge had also caused plenty of weather phenomena, a breakdown of one of the captains, the loss of accuracy of the clocks, dozens injuries on accounts of robots getting flung every where, and a highly energized Ukitake. The same creature was now asking if he had been nicknamed a citrus fruit.

Yamamoto rubbed his forehead. He knew he would be getting a head ache when he saw a woman tracking muddy paw prints on the ceiling. When he asked for it to come down it started asking him about his past and oranges! Of all things that he expected to happen conversing with a wolf woman standing on the ceiling wasn't even on the list.

He watched as the woman hopped from the ceiling and landed on the ground. "Miss Amaterasu. Please stay for my next meeting."

The woman cocked her head._ -Where is the next meeting?-_

He gestured to the room behind him. "Thats the captains meeting hall."

The wolf goddess looked behind him for a moment before nodding. _-But first I will go look around-_

Then the wolf woman disappeared with a bang.

* * *

**I can't decide if Yamamoto should be someone from the ****okami universe or if the appearance should just be a coincidence. I mean Kuni is a part of his name. His strength could come from either nagi or susano. AND HE FRIGGIN' LOOKS LIKE MR ORANGE ESPECIALLY WITH HIS STAFF! Like really! His zanpakuto could come from his passionate personality! AARRRRRGH decisions decisions decisions.**

**Amaterasu creeping Gin out and disciplining Yachiru is an aspect of her godhood. Amaterasu can see the core parts of their personalities but not their thoughts or motivations beyond basic emotions. I figure Gin is someone who values his secrets more then his life and sensitive enough to know what was happening. Yachiru on the other hand fully respects Amaterasu because she treats Yachiru as an equal rather then a kid. Besides, do you really think Yachiru is the kind of person to bully her partner in crime?**


	6. Rain

The meeting was all but a disaster.

A few hours after he had spoken with the wolf woman he had called the other captains for an emergency meeting.

Yamamoto discovered that each of the captains saw Amaterasu in a different form. Usually between a wolf or a woman of varying colors. He also discovered that Amaterasu was not as cooperative as he had hoped. She had decided to take a nap in one of the lesser used hallways and he actually had to send someone to find her.

Then there were the captains themselves.

Captain Soi Fon had not shown up, she had apparently had a breakdown of epic proportions and could not bring bring herself to face the creature. He could not understand a word she said until a messenger explained the situation to him. The wolf spirit had apparently eluded the onmitsukido in ways that are so embarrassing that Soi Fon had been too humiliated to show her face. He had to wonder how much was the wolf's power and how much as Soi Fon's pride.

Captain Ichimaru had attempted to keep as far away from her as possible. He was subtle about it, but Yamamoto could tell when he started inching away. That was cause for concern as well since Ichimaru had an unpleasant habit of shirking off orders and finding loopholes.

Captain Unohana was not present as her Division was currently overwhelmed by the casualties of the wolf god's antics. He suspected that Kurotsuchi and Zaraki were also factors. She sent notice that she may be able to come in once she has removed all the robotic pieces from her patients.

Captain Aizen, thankfully was both present and calm. He only gazed at the wolf spirit curiosity.

Captain Kuchiki pointedly stared directly in front of him. Yamamoto could feel the irritation rolling off the captain.

Captain Komamura had bowed in deference to her when she had entered. They had apparently carried a short but nonverbal conversation that he could not translate. He also looked slightly uneasy with her presence.

Captain Kyoraku more or less stared at the wolf woman for a few moments before questioning her family members. He apparently thought that the wolf woman was a relative of Captain Hitsugaya.

Captain Tousen had begun to converse with the wolf woman apparently not realizing that she was not human, nor was she peaking. Once Aizen and Ichimaru pointed those facts out the conversation came to an abrupt end. He remained silent for the rest of the meeting either out of embarrassment or anger.

Captain Hitsugaya was initially preoccupied with something and dismissed the wolf woman. It wasn't until get got a second look that he realized that the creature in question was a wolf spirit and not a noble. He them proceeded to gape at it the rest of the meeting.

Upon entering the room Captain Kurotsuchi immediately began soliciting the wolf about becoming a research test subject. The wolf then pointedly looked away with an expression that could only described as put off. Kurotsuchi then attempted to provoke the wolf into attacking him so that he could get more data by directly observing it. It failed due to two things.

The first was the arrival of Captain Ukitake who addressed the wolf spirit as Yukishiro Hanamichi. Ukitake promptly planted himself in-between Kurotsuchi and the god and began talking about food.

The second was the arrival of Captain Zaraki, who arrived five minutes into the meeting and immediately challenged the wolf to a fight and struck at it. The wolf seemed to take this in stride and parried the captain's attacks and dispersing the force through out the room causing a great deal of damage.

Zaraki and Kurotsuchi immediately began to fight over the wolf spirit and had to be pulled apart by the other captains.

At that point Unohana walked in and the fighting stopped immediately. Nobody wanted to get on her bad side. She walked up to the wolf. "So you're the one who's caused all this."

The wolf cocked her head a few times before nodding._ -I suppose so. If Seireitei reacts like this each time something new happens, no wonder it reeks of stagnant water.-_

Unohana then put both hands on the wolf's shoulders, still smiling serenely. The room grew very cold after a moment while all the other captains flinched internally. "I'm glad you had fun." She then walked over to her spot only to be stopped by the wolf. It was holding a red bone. An apology for unintentionally overworking the medical squad. Unohana carefully took it and put it away. She would examine it later.

Before Kurotsuchi could demand the bone Yamamoto began to talk. "I will get to the point. This is the creature that broke gate earlier. She does not possess any malicious intent."

Komamura began to look very uncomfortable. "Have you got something to say Captain Komamura?" he asked.

"In the stories, That one has has only ever made herself known when trouble had struck or was about to strike. Her appearance in Soul Society concerns me." He answered after a time.

The room became an uproar again. Captains immediately began shouting questions at the spirit. She didn't answer of course, which made the situation worse.

"SILENCE. Any threats that arise will be dealt with!" Yamamoto pointed his staff at the wolf. "You have caused a lot of damage through out Seireitei. You will repair all of it and then you will go between all 13 squads to make up for the trouble you caused." He ordered.

The wolf merely yawned and walked out of the room.

* * *

It didn't take long for Amaterasu to repair all the damaged walls. It was close to sunrise before she had reset and bloomed the last tree. Amaterasu took a deep breath enjoying the scent of the flowers. _-Aaahhhhh. So nice-_

She still got chased around though, mostly because word amongst the shinigami took much longer to spread. She decided to take this time and go back to the stores she and Yachiru had raided during the day and pay back the difference. She would still have enough to recover from her injuries with her mat.

As she went about her business she thought about the people she met and the things yet to come. She knew that something big was going to happen. Big enough that she might even need to summon the other gods, or at the very least, the ones who could battle to minimize casualties.

The first person she had met had been the bald one. Ikkaku. He had a personality very similar to the Canine warrior Tei. Only the human was easier to deal with. Stubborn but loyal.

She then ran into Yachiru. Good heavens what a ball of energy. She and her father would have a field day of they ever met the gekkigami. Kenpachi Zaraki would enjoy sparring with the elder and Yachiru the younger. In fact, the two groups may as well be mirror images of each other. She wouldn't be surprised if the gekkigami appeared using those two was conduits anyway. SHe would enjoy their expression when that happens.

The sixth captain was interesting. It was as if he had lost something very important to him and he is about to loose something else. His thoughts were in constant conflict even though his face did not show anything. Perhaps he is caught between a proverbial rock and a hard place. Two promises? Black mail? Disease? Something.

Meeting the 8th 12th and 13th captains had been fairly entertaining. One being drunk, one being too busy to look at her, and one making up a human identity on the spot. She hoped he would keep that bento box. It had some power in the sun crest that was good for preserving and maintaining temperature of food and other things of that nature.

She didn't expect them to see her as a human. That meant that they were either very perceptive, very powerful, or a combination of the two. Amaterasu had grown past the stage where her appearance was completely dependent on her powers. Now since she had two incarnations it was more dependent on how she was perceived. She had some control over that. She would keep her appearance consistent for the 3rd 5th and 9th captains. They seemed to be affiliated and it wouldn't do to cause discord.

The 4th captain was too much like Yumigami with her war hammer for Amaterasu to comment on. The last thing Amaterasu needed was Yumi coming after her with that giant mallet. Or worse! Yumigami could stop making moon mochi. That would've been a tragedy of epic proportions!

She thought some more, it had been many millennia since the brush gods had been summoned. They would need conduits to do so. Kabegami is still on her tower, someone will have to go up there manually to convince her. It's unlikely that she has gotten any visitors since the first Shihoin climbed to the top out of curiosity. Amaterasu could not be sure if Yoruichi Shihoin's cat form was hereditary, or if she too had climbed the tower. It wasn't necessary knowledge but it was interesting nonetheless.

Gekkigami was likely wandering the world with his son on his back. Perhaps a good battle or storm could draw them in. But she did not have the level of power to summon that storm just yet. Though, it was quite amusing to see the most fearsome of the brush gods with a tiny cub sleeping on his back. It showed that for all his ferocity he was really quite soft.

Itegami had not been seen for a few decades. Even before he disappeared he often complained of the heat. Living human beings had taken after the moon tribe in that sense. Creating come thing wonderful with out looking into the ramifications, losing control of it, and killing some mortals. The gods would step in, take out the threat, and humans would become more mindful. Then the cycle will repeat.

How long would it be? Only time would tell. She would wait here for more then a thousand years if she had to.

_-The rivers are looking a bit shallow. They could use a bit of rain.-_ Thought Amaterasu as she drew two lines.


	7. It Starts with a Bang

**Authors note- I have suddenly discovered that I ****am not quite as good as transitioning as I thought. I'm happy that people are enjoying this story since i enjoy writing it. Actually, the more i think of it the more I can actually make connections between the Okami universe and the bleach universe. For instance, I don't think its hard to believe that Tama and Bakugami could have been the progenitors of the Great Shiba clan or a connection like that.**

**Review are always ****appreciated.**

* * *

Over the next few days, Soul society had been hit with one of the worst storms recorded. It was the sort of deluge that would leave you soaked and freezing if you so much as stuck your head out a window. The sky was grey as stone and it was difficult to tell the passage of time. In fact, some of the captains took advantage of the rain to either catch up on paper work or to postpone it.

Ukitake was watching his fish swim about with interest. There was so much rain that his back yard had flooded and his koi had been released from the confines of their pond. His third seats had just attempted to convince him to come back inside. They practically smothered him in blankets. He was pretty sure they would've drowned him in soup too if "Yukishiro" had not arrived.

Word had spread through out the gotei 13 that someone new and mysterious had joined them. 'Yukishiro' had been regarded with fear and distrust by some, and awe by others. Ukitake had discovered the side effects of the bento box that she had given him and was taking full advantage of it. It was currently being used to curtail any attempts that shinigami women's association would slip into his food. He was quite flattered with the attention but he could really do with out having his picture taken spontaneously.

At any rate Komamura had been unable to give any details regarding their special guest, details of his stories having been lost to time. All he could say was that this spirit had appeared before them in the midst of a catastrophe fought along side one of their own, stopped an apocalypse, and that it was female. Then he straight up asked the spirit about her purpose but was unable to get anything more then vague descriptions regarding a bug or a hiding place. How trouble some.

There was also the issue with the situation regarding his officer. The rain was so bad that the message system had been slower down to an agonizing crawl. He had sent out an appeal earlier and had yet to hear back from the central 46. He suspected the rain may have something to do with this. If the appeal was turned down then he would have to resort to drastic measures.

* * *

Soi Fon was not in a good mood. The onmitsukido headquarters had flooded form the rain. She had the area prepared for just about everything, except for rain. She was currently trying to salvage as much of the documents as she can and failing miserably. The ink in the papers had ran and she couldn't get her wet hair out of her eyes. She had the misfortune of sitting to close to the window when the rain forced it open. She huffed when she realized that she would probably have to rewrite most of the files.

She had missed the meeting a few days ago and she had caught up on what she had missed. She noticed a familiar outline by her window and noticeably brightened. It was the wolf again.

She scoffed when Captain Komamura actually said that 'Yoruichi- sama' was a spirit older then Soul Society itself. Beastclan folklore was not something to be taken seriously and should not be the subject of captain's meetings. She was still embarrassed that she lost her composure after seeing her old mentor again. She had yet to get any answers out of the wolf regarding her animal appearance.

"Yoruichi. Please tell me why you are a wolf? Did that bastard Urahara do this to you?" She demanded for the second time.

The wolf merely looked at her and shook her head. _-No. He did not.-_

"How did you get like this?"

_-I hope you will realize that your attention is misplaced. I am not your beloved idol.-_

"Did he rob you of your voice?"

_-I don't believe you are able to understand me.-_

"Do you hate me?" She pleaded "Please answer.."

-_No I do not. I enjoy your presence and I wish you well. Are you alright?-_ sighed the wolf.

This rather onesided conversation would continue to occur for the next few days ending when Amaterasu patted the captain and sparred lightly. It had been mostly touch and go. Amaterasu was impressed with the captain's agility and Soi Fon was also impressed but not surprised at the speed and agility of the wolf.

Amaterasu knew this would probably not end well for her once the captain discovered the truth. She wished Soi Fon could actually hear her, but it seemed that her mind was too preoccupied to really understand what she was saying.

* * *

Amaterasu sat on the roof of one of the barracks. She was looking at a tall imposing cliff, Soukyoku Hill. It was only a matter of time until the big showdown began. Deluge probably wouldn't put out the great flaming bird, but it would certainly weaken it along with the foundation it stood on. The added bonus was that the flooding would bog down the whole system and buy time. That should be enough to stir the pot so to speak.

The rain didn't bother her as much as it did the shinigami. Most shinigami were able to shunpo, the rain put a stop to that because it was so heavy that many of then had trouble seeing beyond the end of their zanpakuto. The also had trouble entering places that were down hill since the majority of those had been flooded. The holy water also interfered with the flight of hell butterflies and the functions of the Senkaimon.

But thanks to the rain Amaterasu could run on water. She had been making a great deal of money on a ferry service too since people liked their packages and paper work dry and arriving in a timely manner. She had to be careful because the nobles kept shoving money at her to move them up the priority list. One of them even tried to cut in line and steal someone else's lily pad and use his zanpakuto as an oar as an attempt to go faster.

Omaeda quickly found out that it didn't work. The lily pad ferry was only as fast as it was because Amaterasu had been pulling it like a sled. He was also too heavy to sit on an non enforced lily pad with out sinking it. In fact, he sank right up to his waist and had to be dragged out by his very irritated captain who had arrived to have something delivered.

"C-CAPTAIN"

"Is there anywhere i can go with out you embarrassing me?!"

The only other shinigami who did not have trouble with the weather was Captain Hitsugaya. He simply froze the water where ever he needed to walk. His headquarters were similarly kept dry with ice barriers. He still stared at Amaterasu in shock. The boy was still beating himself over the fact that he had not noticed a white wolf coming into his office.

Eventually her powers waned again and the storm had went away. The flooded pathways dried up. Fish were returned to their respective ponds. Normal life reasserted itself. Rukia Kuchiki is retrieved from the living world and locked up.

Until one day, the sky exploded and once again Seireitei was enveloped in chaos second only to Amaterasu's appearance.

Amaterasu smiled. _-It has begun-_


	8. The Cat Returns

Amaterasu watched as several teenagers and a cat fell from above.

It was like a repeat of when she arrived. Although in this case, these were teenagers with out a clue as to how to properly sneak into someplace after creating a diversion, or how to properly cause chaos. None of this was important right now. She watched with amusement as the shinigami once again ran about like chickens with out heads. Only this time is was comparatively worse since every officer and noble that was outside saw the explosion.

It seems that preventing hysteria was not high on the list of military priorities. Shinigami were gathering in swarms and chasing the ryoka about. Surely it would've been more effective to wait before pursuing the intruders. After all, its not like they can just waltz back out. All they would've needed to do was just be patient. At any rate, the ryoka are holding up quite well against the onslaught of shinigami. It seems she wasn't going to be needed by them anytime soon.

She jumped off the roof and began trotting towards the division 5 barracks. If she was correct then thats where the everything would begin.

THUMP!

Amaterasu turned her head to look at what slammed into her.

"What the hell is a dog doin here and whats with the stripes?" Cried a boy with flaming orange hair. He got up and began running when she pulled him into a dark alley. He was about to protest when he noticed that the wolf had switched out her weapon back to her orange seven strike and stepped back out.

"I saw a flash of orange he- Wait, its just that wolf. " Somebody said. When the voices and taunts from the shinigami grew distant again, Amaterasu pulled the boy back out of the alley and walked off.

"Thanks dog!" he called before he ran off again.

She kept going until she reached her destination.

* * *

Sure enough there was a dead body and two people standing over it. Amaterasu ignored the two people and went and inspected it. It was either a very well made fake, or a family will be grieving somewhere. Amaterasu hoped it was the former.

Aizen and Ichimaru both looked at the intruder. The wolf looked Neither of them knew what to do about it.

It was the first time Aizen had interacted with the wolf himself. Ordinarily he would've ignored it but he knew that Komamura could communicate with it and Komamura trusted the wolf as much as he trusted the head captain. He released his Shikai and made it so that the wolf would see the two of them leave. The he could observe the wolf's reaction to see how to best manipulate it.

…..

It didn't work. The wolf continued to stare at them both. This put both men on edge, and for different reasons.

Gin did not enjoy making eye contact with it. She made him feel small, confused, and bare. He wished that it would look at him with suspicion or fear. Those he knew how to deal with. The wolf only looked at him with a kindness and compassion instead, like it knew why he was doing everything. Could it possibly…?

For the first time in Aizen's life, he was nervous. He had spent centuries planning this and it was all about to pay off when the wolf appeared. His shikai didn't looked like it worked on it. Could it be blind? No, it never once looked away. The other option was impossible. There was no way a god could possibly be standing in front of him.

No way at all. So why didn't he pick up any reiatsu? WHY?

IT CANNOT BE A GOD.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

GODS DO NOT DESCEND TO THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

THEY NO LONGER EXIST.

THE THRONE HAS BEEN EMPTY FOR CENTURIES.

...

All three of them remained frozen until they heard someone scream.

* * *

The Hinamori received a nasty shock when she opened the door. The snake and her beloved captain had killed someone! Worse, They had cornered a cute white wolf.

Then the gears in her bean began turning. She saw three people. Captain Ichimaru was the furthest away, he wasn't smiling, which was unusual. Next to him was captain Aizen. He was completely spotless despite the dead body that was on the ground. There were no words for the look on his face, it was an expression that she had never seen in the time she has served him.

In between them was the white wolf she had been hearing about. It wasn't growling or bearing teeth at anyone but she could tell its hackles were up.

Pinned to the wall was… Captain Aizen?

What?

How could he be both alive and dead? Was one of them an impostor? Aizen wouldn't have lost, but if fox face and the imposter were working together...

She didn't want to think. Her captain wouldn't have gone down quietly. He wouldn't have sided with Captain Ichimaru either. But who was real? What was happening? She couldn't sense Aizen's reiatsu. But he couldn't be dead. He was too strong for that.

Aizen, alive and clean. Aizen, dead on a wall and covered in blood. Gin, unsmiling and staring at the wolf.

She couldn't think.

She screamed.

* * *

"SNAP, TOBIUME!" Roared Hinamori as she lunged at the group.

Mist began to form.

The room exploded. The force of the blast shattered all the windows.

Hinamori could feel something pick her up but she didn't respond.

She was confused. She saw her captain dead. But he was also alive. He couldn't have died even if he was ambushed by Ichimaru and the impostor. He was too strong. But she didn't feel his reiatsu either. He wouldn't have been so cruel as to trap a wolf.

Her thoughts continue to run through her mind. What ever had given her the energy to attack them had left her body and she couldn't move.

The wolf was carrying her. But she didn't know where.

The world grew dark.

* * *

Hinamori woke up in the 4th division. She was alone in the small room. The only other things inside besides herself were two pieces of paper an envelope, and a small bento box with a carving of a flaming sun on it. She picked up the one labeled read first. She didn't recognize the writing.

_\- There is trouble. You're squad will need you. You're friends will need you. Please keep calm. Think carefully about what you have seen and what you are about to see. You are safe. Nothing can come in, nothing can go out. Please stay until the the barrier weakens. Keep your strength and you're head up. That way, you can see with clear eyes.-_

The second piece of paper was a detailed drawing of the room she was just in. Only this time it was the top view and the man on the wall wasn't captain Aisen, but some random Shinigami.

Hinamori balled up the drawing and threw it across the room. Her captain would never murder someone like that!

Then she picked up the envelope. Upon reading the contents she became even more confused and angry. The letter said that Toshiro was the one that killed Aizen. But that can't be right because Aizen was alive when she saw them.

She screamed once more in rage and confusion.

Something was terribly wrong. She needed more information. She had to find out what was really happening. He beloved Captain Aizen might have been replaced by an imposter!

She struggled to break out. The barriers weren't giving. She was stuck here for the time being. Momo got up and picked up the bento box as well as the picture. The box contained some mochi and a small cup of tea. She promptly devoured it. The events she had gone through had left her drained.

She mind was still racing. She supposed that since she was stuck here she may as well use the time to think.

* * *

Isane gave a sigh of relief when the barrier held.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Lieutenant Hinamori just outside the division with a note saying that she was having violently hysterical fits of paranoia. The note also instructed her to have Hinamori sealed and to put these objects in the room with her.

At first she didn't believe it but when the building shook with the girls rage, she was glad she had followed the instructions.  
She couldn't imagine the level of chaos if she were to escape.

* * *

Amaterasu made her way back to the top of Soukyoku Hill just in time to see Soi Fon attempt to crush someone's throat.

Amaterasu shot past the other captains and grabbed on of her braids in an attempt to pull her back. Soi Fon smashed the sheath of her zanpakuto into her snout.

The wolf gave the braid another sharp tug when both of them were sent flying off the cliff by a masked figure.

_-Took you long enough. Your timing couldn't be better-_

Amaterasu saw the figure smirk slightly.

Soi Fon on the other hand had become like a cat from hell. She screamed obscenities at the wolf who was still clinging to her braid and at the woman that had just stopped her from doing her duty.

"You're still as short tempered as ever aren't you Shaolin" Said the figure.

For the third time in her life, Soi Fon was shaken to her very core. The voice belonged to the one who had left her a century ago and whose shoulder she had cried on a week ago. Right? But the voice didn't come from the wolf on her braid, it came from the person who punched her off the cliff. "L-lady Yoruichi? B-But your- How?" She was interrupted when the three of them slammed onto a tree branch. Shock and confusion dulling her normally sharp reflexes.

Amaterasu grunted and whined slightly when she found herself get pinned between two people on top of her, and the branch underneath. She was slightly worried that Soi Fon would start attacking them both again. That was certainly a plausible reaction. She gripped the braid closer to her head.

Soi Fon wasn't sure what to feel. The wolf she had thought was her idol had turned out to be a completely unrelated creature. SHE, Captain of squad two and Commander of the onmitsukido, had once again been caught unaware. When Yoruichi got off of her and took off the mask be began to do the same but winced when the wolf pulled her hair.

"….. Wolf. I'm not going to attack you" she said in a toneless voice.

The wolf kept holding on.

"I'm not going to attack, period." she continued.

* * *

Amaterasu sighed and let the woman up. It seemed that the pent up rage and hurt that had fueled her assault earlier was not present, having been releases a week earlier.

A heavy silence settled over the trio.

Amaterasu barked. _-You should speak Yoruichi.-_

Soi Fon looked between Yoruichi and Amaterasu then to no one in particular.

"I see you've met Ammy." Began Yoruichi. "It looks like you two get along. Thats good."

Soi Fon remained motionless.

Amaterasu barked again, louder and deeper this time. _-You owe her an explanation.-_

Yoruichi shifted uncomfortably. "I owe you an apology Soi Fon. I shouldn't have left with out a word. I-"

"Was this a joke?" Soi Fon interrupted. "Did you send me a wolf thinking it would make up for you disappearing?!"

"What?! No! I-"

Soi Fon glared at the wolf. "AND YOU! When were you going to tell me this?! WHY DIDNT YOU SAY ANYTHING!?"

Amaterasu simply looked at her again with a gentle, yet solemn gaze.

_-I have been trying since the very beginning. You could not hear me and I am sorry for it. I never meant to lie.-_

Soi Fon sank to her knees. The sense of betrayal returning." Tell me everything." She said as tears began to fall again. "Everything"

Amaterasu looked at Yoruichi again before going over to the captain and comforting her.

Yourichi gently wrapped her arms around her former student for a few moments before telling the story of a conspiracy that started one hundred years ago. She watched as her protege's eyes widened when she told her about the hollow experiments as well as the extreme training methods used on the boy who had stopped the execution.

For a few moments, nobody spoke. Then Soi Fon punched her mentor in the stomach as hard as she could.

Yoruichi staggered back a few steps before straightening herself up. "Ok I deserved that. Good punch though, You've gotten much stronger."

Soi Fon's angry tears slowly changed to contentment with the remaining tension from one hundred years gone at last. "Thank you Lady Yoruichi. "

Amaterasu relaxed when she saw the two women start chattering like birds. She heard a commotion in the distance and jerked her head. It seems the girl had broken from her room. She abruptly stood up and ran up what was left of the cliff to the scene.

* * *

Hinamori was blasting at everything she saw.

When the barrier weakened she broke out and returned to the room. What she saw horrified her. One of her fellow officers had been pinned to the wall. A group of squad 4 members had been murmuring about how Aizen had been pinned to the wall. Why did they think Aizen was the one who had been pinned when it was one of the unseated officers? Unless… Unless….

Aizen had murdered the poor boy and released his shikai.

She shouted that it wasn't Aizen that was stuck onto the wall and the healers looked at her like she was crazy.

She ended up getting dragged back to the 4th division with the corpse and no one would believe her. They all looked at her with pity.

Fortunately Captain Unohana believed her, having met the wolf and seeing the effects from the Bone Amaterasu had given her and drinking some of the broth she cooked from it. She too had seen the corpse for what it was.

She had been lied to. She had been betrayed by the person she had admired most. She wanted an explanation that wasn't a lie and she had been denied that.

She had heard Aizen talk about his horrible plans for who knows how long and she had seen the shock when he realized that she had been listening.

She had always had eyes for Aizen. That didn't change even as she was reeling from the truth. "Aizen-sama? Was it all a lie?"

She didn't see when Ichimaru had released his Zanpakuto and she almost didn't feel his blade going through her.

* * *

The cat goddess was not happy.

Walls and barriers were her domain and she was not about to share her role with mere mortal.

She didn't strike when the illusion was set up.

She didn't strike when the child was stabbed.

She didn't strike when when they bound her goddess.

She carefully watched the man extract the Yami fragment from the shinigami girl. When the time comes, they will know.

For _She_ has almost recovered.

* * *

As the Garganta opened the sky grew dark.

When a beam of light came down, the stars shined.

When the trio neared the hole in the sky, it struck.

* * *

_"-Rats! I missed!-"_

She had meant to claw at the Yami fragment and release it from his grasp.

The mortal seems to have anticipated that and kept a good grip on it and she only managed to take off a piece.

Kabegami hit the ground with a thud and watched as the disappeared and the sky lighten again.

She sighed and dusted off her clothes. A quick check indicated that her hair was still in place. Thats good, Her conduit, would've thrown a fit if it was too out of place.

She turned around the the shinigami staring at her. "_-What are you looking at?-_"

Nobody answered.

"_-Have none of you seen a Yi Ji? No? A geisha then? Hn. Interesting-_"

* * *

**Authors note- Woohoo. Who wants to know how Hueco Mundo handles Ammy? Heh. You'll find out. I'm having way too much fun with this.**

** Ammy gave Hinamori some of Yumigami's m****ochi, hence why kyoka suigetsu didn't work on her when she went back to check the body (No, the effects are not permanent because Yumigami likes making things other them Mochi with her mallet.) I felt that breaking Hinamori with her oldest friend stabbing her was too cruel for both of them. Even if she was kind of weak and clingy.**

**Unohana has discovered some useful properties of holy bones, which is why she believed Hinamori. I'd like to think that in the manga when Unohana notices something is amiss, its because Aizen murdered some other guy and since he doesn't know what his own internal organs look like, he wasn't able to disguise is completely.**

**艺妓 (Yi Ji) and geisha are more or less the same thing, only one is in china and the other in japan. They are high class entertainers/ performing artists that sell their skills. THEY ARE NOT PROSTITUTES. They put most actors to shame with their dedication. I could go more into detail, but it's not really ****necessary.**

**I really hope I did Hinamori and Soi Fon justice here. I really like Soi Fon and I don't remember what Hinamori was like very well. **

**I'm going to make a slight change in Okami cannon here and there and expand the brush god's range of abilities. The biggest example will be Kabegami.**

**Reviews are much ****appreciated~!**


	9. This Lowly One

The meeting room was dead quiet after the day's events.

Each captain was standing in their designated spot. The only difference was the woman in white standing opposite to the Head captain. Her hair was white as snow save for the tips. It flowed loosely around her body despite there being no wind inside. She had eyes like liquid honey, yet there was the hint of something extremely unnatural that lurked within. She looked as if she had come out of a painting, Her body cloaked by many layers of clothing with only her tiny, elegant hands to hint at her figure.

"It has been along time." Began Yamamoto. "I could finish what I started all those centuries ago."

-"You could."- Agreed the woman. -"But it would destroy Soul Society. We both know that would be an excellent example of stupidity if you follow through with that statement."- She glanced at her finger tips and frowned slightly as if not satisfied with their state.

"Who am I speaking to? The spirit or the Whole?"

_-"In light of the events that have occurred, how is that a priority?"-_ The woman rolled her eyes in annoyance. -_"What is it you want? Spit it out. There are better things to be done."-_

At this Soi Fon jumped in. "How dare you show such disrespect? Do you know who you are talking-"

"Silence." Yamamoto cut off the rant before it would begin. "I ask simply so that I know who to refer to in conversation. I am sure you are aware of recent events and I would like to request assistance."

"Requesting assistance as opposed to just taking it? My my how times have changed." The woman smiled enigmatically. "To answer your question You can just refer to us as you have when we last fought. I've always found being called 'DAMN CRAZY WOMAN' to be amusing. We both hear you after all."

"Woman. Do not disrespect the Head captain." Growled Komamura. The fur on his neck rising in agitation.

"Komamura stand down."Yamamoto replied tiredly. So much time had passed since then, yet his one of his greatest adversaries stood right in front of him, looking as if time hadn't touched her at all. One wolf woman spirit was bad enough. He really didn't need to make any enemies of someone who could match him on the battle field either. "Cat spirit. Still your tongue. Kindly allow me to talk to your conduit please."

The woman raised an eyebrow and like watching paint run, the white from her hair and her robes simply melted away. White hair melted into hair as dark as the night with just a touch of white at the tips, Gold eyes became brown, white robes became scarlet laced with gold. The whiteness reformed next to her in the shape of a cat. A white cat with pink markings. "This one doesn't see what the fuss is about." She shrugged. The strangeness with in her eyes was magnified and spread to the rest of her body. She now looked as if she had crawled out of a very detailed painting.

It was hard to say what unnerved the captains more.

The fact that the stranger in front of them had gone from looking mostly normal save for her hair color to something that made the hair on their necks stand.

Or the fact that she was a dead ringer for the second division captain.

The woman seemed slightly amused at the sudden nervousness of her hosts. "Well? This one believes it is rude to stare."

Nobody responded to that.

The cat goddess turned to her conduit _-I think I may have over did it a little, leaving you like that. You are very disturbing to look at with out me and your spouse suppressing that cursed seal.- _The cat watched them for a few moments. But when nothing happened it simply strolled out. _-Come along, Soifon There are other things to be done.-_

The woman waited a few more moments before following it.

* * *

"Honestly Kabegami-sama this one wishes you could have given this one some warning before you threw this one to the ground." Huffed the woman as followed the cat goddess through the woods.

_-Don't whine so much. I thought you of all people would understand my reaction to someone messing with my territory.-_ snorted the cat. _-Besides. I got you a present to make up for it.- _Kabegami led her host down a long winding path which eventually ended at a very large tree. The cat goddess marched up to it and pulled at a section of bark, revealing a door. She gestured for the woman to go inside. _-Your present is inside-_

The woman carefully stalked inside checking for straps of hidden demon scrolls. She just woke from a long slumber and she was in no shape for a surprise training session with imps.

What she saw was an abnormally large grey and white cat sitting in the center of an empty room.

It wagged its tail when it saw her and bounced up into her arms. "WIFEY! ITS BEEN SOOOO LONG! I've really missed ya" It barked.

"This one has missed you too Madoka, Why are you a cat?" Soifon tried to stop the grin on her face and failed miserably. She hugged the feline as tightly as she could with out suffocating him.

"Well I'm less likely to be shot at. Fox fur is very popular you see." Said the cat as it lightly smacked the woman. "And stop referring to your self in third person."

_-I trust that this is adequate compensation for your rude awakening?-_ Inquired the cat god. _-Of course you may thank me anytime you wish-_

The other two simply rolled their eyes at her declaration.

_-I get no respect from either one of you.-_ Huffed the cat god. Still, Kabegami smiled at the sight. Interesting times lay ahead after all and she was expecting company soon. _-Ma. I'll leave you two to do what ever.-_

* * *

It took them several minutes to shake off the weirdness. The first to recover being Komamura.

"Genryusai -dono. I do not like that woman. Something about her is unnatural and I am not referring to the cat spirit."

"Of course she's not normal." Snorted Kurotsuchi. Getting inconsistent results from the wolf had made him a little more irritable then normal. "The woman has a Youkai seal on her."

"I could feel them from here. Ah. Captain Soi Fon. Are you alright?" Asked the healer. The younger captain was still as stone.

"I'll be fine. My greatest apologies for my lapse in attention." Replied the other female captain. What else could she say? There is nothing quite as unsettling as seeing a picture of your self drawn with a few details wrong. Correction, there are plenty of things more unsettling then that but nothing sticks out quite as much. It was almost as off putting as Kurotsuchi's interest in Yoru- No, Lady wolf. "Shall I go after the woman? Someone like that will not be hard to find."

"Yes, I wish to study that seal she has. It's been ages since anything remotely similar has been discovered."

"Captain Soi Fon, I want you to keep away from her. If she is as I recall a direct confrontation would end your career as Commander of the Onmitsukido. I have no doubt that she would eventually reappear looking for information, when that happens I want you to try and barter for her services." Commanded Yamamoto "Captain Kurotsuchi, Please keep your research geared towards the war efforts. I am fairly certain that you would get results similar to your spirit wolf research."

"Does anyone else have something to add?"

There were none.

"DISMISSED!"

* * *

**Author's note- Ok I've re written this. I think it's better then the original but that's just me. **

**Hopefully this closes any weird plot holes that may have been opened by me accidentally deleting the original chapter.**

**The weirdness I'm referring to is the uncanny valley. With out Kabegami suppressing a seal on Soifon the elder's back she just comes across as really off and a little creepy. Like realistic self portraits or a mannequin walking around and playing with dolls. She's there but she doesn't feel like she fits in the world.**

**Urk. I think i Just gave myself the creeps.**

**Comments and criticisms are welcome as usual.**


	10. Getting Older

Amaterasu had been in Hueco Mundo for close to a month now. She was fairly certain that Aizen had gotten enough information. What ever he was working on seems to have been pushed aside in favor of what he was currently planning.

Gin had largely kept away from her. He found her piercing gaze to be extremely unsettling. Not to mention that she would appear out of nowhere. Fortunately she had kept away from him when Aizen was close.

Tousen on the other hand was rather unsettled when he reached out to touch what he thought was a young woman, and felt wolf fur instead. He assumed that she was a female from Komamura's clan that happened to be mute and didn't take too well to any implication otherwise. The two of them would occasionally sit side beside and try and communicate.

The arrancar in this establishment had mixed feelings regarding this development. The two-that-were-one did not care much, if anything they were satisfied regardless of what happened, an odd thing amongst hollow.

The elder pseudo god did not take well to being pushed aside. Once he deduced (correctly) that she was the cause, he became devoted to making her time here miserable. Or rather, he boasted and threatened her in his skeletal form for a week then disappeared after realizing that the only thing that he was doing, was getting older. Amaterasu for the most part found the display to be akin to Kazegami flaunting his speed.

Tia Harribel did not care either. She, her troupe and Amaterasu often sat in silence and watched the stars. If anything, they spent more time searching the sky for stars then anything else. Apache was the one who saw the most recent shooting star. Mila rose and Sun Sun were the first ones to make up a constellation. They squabbled over it for quite sometime before their leader silenced them and returned to looking at the sky.

The empty one did not seem to care either. He still had a purpose and he was satisfied with that, even if his current purpose is to follow her around and bring Aizen and his fellow Shinigami food. Amaterasu found that attitude to be a little depressing if not pathetic. That is not to say that he was pathetic, he could be rather unpleasant if you somehow managed to agitate him. She had seen that expression plenty of times during the Orochi era. Waka never did completely lose that sadness even with all the songs he played.

The reaction of the fifth one was… well… Explosive. He spent many hours ranting about being cast aside and losing at the last moment. He then left to go slaughter some hollows. Amaterasu felt rather sorry for him. He was one of the hollows here that had not been able to find some semblance of peace for himself and it seemed that he had a death wish.

She had escaped from her cell a while ago when she felt something shift. It was amusing watching Aizen and that arrancar Szayel Apporo Granz try and grasp her power. She had to commend them for their efforts, but it was like watching a turtle try to fly. Tis a pity they didn't try to understand how her inventory works. That would've been easier and it would've worked out better for them. Granted, they still wouldn't have been able to touch her weapon without risking the destruction of their zanpakuto at best and soul at worst.

She wall trotted through Las Noches. The fraccion more or less ignored her, or maybe they were unaware, she could never be completely sure.

Amaterasu stalked over to another arrancar, the sixth one. This one had bright blue hair and odd markings under his eyes. He looked like he was napping in a corner, various objects strewn about, as if they were marking his territory.

She carefully stalked until she was directly over him. Then she drew a cherry bomb.

* * *

The result was instantaneous. It blew through a portion of the wall and knocked the sleeping arrancar across the room. He landed neatly on his feet and fired a bala at Amaterasu after shouting something about fighting.

She leapt to the side and darted out into the hall before he could fire another one.

Had she been able, she would've laughed at his expression.

The two men followed after her. "GET BACK HERE YOU BITCH!" Screamed the blue haired one as he ran, dragging Ulquiorra along with him.

Ulquiorra wasn't sure what to make of the current situation. He had been ordered to keep an eye on the creature and to observe its actions. He had also been told to not damage Las Noches or allow anyone else for that matter. He noticed that as the wolf ran down the halls she avoided windows. It appeared that the false sunlight was not to her taste.

Amaterasu rounded a corner and spied another arrancar. She sped up and as she blazed passed him she drew her reflector and rebounded one of Grimmjow's so that it would hit him.

Well, now she had two angry arrancar after her. The one named Nnoitra was even more angry. He was swearing something about fighting him and the rest of his words were comments on her femininity.

If she could just lure them to that place, then she could-

BOOM

* * *

Soifon and Madoka stayed in the tree hollow for a long time. The had roughly two millennia to catch up on or so they thought. Evidently, Kabegami had allowed her conduit to dream about the living world and soul society while her body was repairing itself. "I asked her why she did that." Began the woman "-_I won't have an ignorant human and you are not very creative._\- she said. Humph. Of course I'm creative, I've created the code that nobody outside of the- "

"You aren't very modest are you." meowed the cat.

"Why, of course I am! I'm the greatest" She answered with mock indignity before resuming working on her pin.

The cat chuckled slightly "Soifon. Really? Are you really going to use that every time someone asks?"

Her eye twitched when she heard her name called."I hate when I am called that." She muttered as she picked up the cat and set it on her shoulder. "You both know that and yet you call me by it anyway"

The cat cocked his head. "Well, whats wrong with being addressed by your name? It's official isn't it? And doesn't it mean clarity or elegance or something like that?"

The woman looked at him for a few minutes. "Sometimes I forget that you were pretty sheltered for someone who worked in theater."

"Hey! I was a soldier too!" The cat protested. He wasn't really, the game of omission was one they had played since the moment they met, he saw no purpose in ending it now.

"That makes it worse."

"Just tell me why?"

"The characters in my name mean broken bee. That is my entire existence."

"That changes depending on context. Don't try that on me-" began the cat but was soon interrupted by his irate friend.

"My name is servant! Slave! Meant to be broken! Something with no other purpose then to be used! I am something to be cast away when I am no longer useful! What do you think happens to female servants?" She demanded. Her voice rising with each word. "Before you say anything that is what servants of nobles were called. Soifon." Then she paused for a few moments before adding "I think prostitutes had more things tacked onto the end of that but I do not care to remember. I got away before I could be completely branded as one."

For a moment Madoka feared being struck, but he saw her calm down a few moments later. He was used to this reaction and he knew what to expect, but it still caught him off guard sometimes. "I don't think it has the meaning today. Again it is only context" he replied carefully. Seeing as he had not yet been struck he continued. "Didn't mean to bring up bad memories." He was about to continue when he did get slapped.

"Madoka. I have told you that hundreds of times before." Replied the woman false cheerfulness. "You just keep forgetting."

The scratched his ear awkwardly. "Lets go see whats left of our legacy then?" He suggested.

"I wonder if Hachidori is still in business. I hope it is, we created it together did we not?." Mused the woman.

"Heh yeah, the plays were pretty popular in our time wasn't it." The cat hopped off her shoulder and trotted outside the tree. "I'll go ahead and wait for you."

"Very well." she replied. She polished the pin before carefully pinning sticking it in her hair. She took one last look around to make sure everything else was in order before leaving herself.

* * *

Somewhere else in seireitei, a little girl snuck out of her room and carefully left her house. She had pocketed some food from dinner and she was going to go and feed her friend. She made her way to the base of a cliff where her friend was waiting.

"Hi Yori- Nee. I got some fish from dinner." She chirped as she saw the cat waiting there for her. As it started eating she babbled to it about her day. "I heard somebody say that Okashiria -sama was back. Nobody will tell me what that means."

The cat, having finished its meal replied. "Hey there Keiko. They probably mean just that. The leader of the Hachidori clan is back. I bet it had something to do with that explosion earlier."

The girl looked a bit confused for a moment. "I thought that was Kugaku-nee blowing up Ganchu-nii. At least that's what they told me. What's going on Yori -Nee?"

The cat simply chuckled. "I'll tell you later. Off to bed with you."

Keiko sulked "Hmpf Nobody ever tells me anything. The grownups always say that and then never tell me." She sat on the cat and pouted. "I don't want to go to bed"

Yoruichi who was rather used to this sighed in mock defeat for a few moments before rolling out from underneath. "Alright. Alright. Fine I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone 'kay?"

The little girl brightened instantly and nodded with enthusiasm.

"I had tea and cookies with a wolf god. She said that one of her friends might pay a visit later." She saw the little girl frown "Were you expecting something else?"

The girl shifted a little. "Kinda. There was a lot of noise in the second squad barracks about someone rude."

Yoruichi blinked for a few moments. "Squad two? How did ya get in there?" She was used to all sorts of mischief from the theater children but this took the cake. She briefly wondered if Yachiru had anything to do with it. But that wasn't likely. Yachiru didn't particularly care for that particular area.

"Oh thats easy. There's these really big tunnels under ground. They smell kind of bad. One of them leads right under the floor. The door won't open though." She looked a bit disappointed when she said the last part of the sentence. Then she shushed the cat. "Don't tell anyone. It's a secret."

Yoruichi shook her head and sighed. The second squad must've really fallen if the only thing stopping a little girl from breaking in was a boarded up trapdoor. At any rate, she had better get the brat to bed. The director, who she knew was perfectly aware of Keiko's escapades, would probably give her an earful for keeping her up this late. "I won't tell if you go back to your room." She watched the girl cross her arms again and pout. "What if I walked you back?" The girl pouted some more so she tried another tactic. "I'll let you carry me back?"

"Fine, but I still don't like it" Replied the girl as she picked up the cat and started back.

* * *

**Authors note- I have discovered that writing about ammy and the espada is much harder then writing for the captains. They're a pretty predictable bunch and they're all kind of flat. This transition felt a bit weird to write on account of all the OCs. I think the next chapter would be less awkward since I do plan on some action happening. I think I might be taking a page out of Kubos's book. When in doubt, make a new character, arc, or power, etc. **

**As for the new oc. Keiko is younger a little younger then Yachiru, around four or five years old physically, and gets into just as much trouble. She can pretty much go where ever she want through the waterways. Seriously, I don't think they ever made much use of that in canon so almost no one knows how to navigate it. Hopefully i made her seem childish, bratty, and sharp at the same time. i don't plan on her being the character that is only used for gags then tossed out, thats mean. More on her in the next chapter.**

**If anyone thinks I'm begin unfair regarding squad 2 I have to say this. I don't see much of them doing stealth work. Wearing black with a mask is not particularly stealthy and Soifon has a really loud and noticeable personality. (She also talks a bit much when she fights but I think everyone in the bleach universe has that flaw.) There's also the thing with the abandoned waterway. I think it would pass by just about every building in seireitei and since no one ever uses it beyond basic cleaning, its a perfectly viable secret passage.**

**As always, Coments and ****criticism are welcome.**

**Edit: Fixed awkward ness regarding the name. Chinese is weird.**


	11. Oh for the Love of Bloomin Rocks!

Amaterasu hadn't moved fast enough and she was blasted through the door by two cero hitting her at the same time. What she saw inside made her skin crawl.

There were several large figures, drawn in a circle. They were neither hollow or shinigami. If anything they bore a distinct resemblance to symbols of elemental forces. She could see the marks for the sun, the moon, water, fire, earth, and air. It was an old ritual used to for blessing something although this man seemed to think it was a summoning ritual. She wondered where he had gotten the information from.

Amaterasu suspected that this man had been attempting to harness her powers with the yami shard when he saw what she could do. The end result was an attempt to summon them. She was glad that none of the other gods were present. They would certainly take offense to this. The ones who were included would not be happy to be called for such petty reasons, the ones who were not included would be slighted. It was rather disturbing to see the actions of mortals some times. To go so far as to defile a sacred ritual, he must want that power quite badly.

She didn't have long to stare before the arrancar shot at her again. She dodged this time and she was about to run when she felt herself get bounded once more.

"You saved me the trouble of having to catch you again. Good job you two. You are dismissed." Crooned Aizen as he dragged her toward the center of the room. "You showed me just what I can do with the Hogyoku. I think you can help me transcend this plane of existence. I have certainly earned it."

* * *

Keiko had spent the day practicing just as she was told to do. It didn't bother her that she had spent several hours doing the same dance over and over. They would be putting on a show soon and she had to play the part of one of the warriors. It wasn't a big part but she was looking forward to it. It didn't help that dancing to the battle music was lots of fun. She was a little annoyed though, the grownups said that she shouldn't show anyone what she could do unless it was an emergency. She already knew it was a good idea to keep yourself a secret.

But then she got pranked by one of the older kids that lived here and got in trouble for causing a fuss. No matter what she said the director would just tell her to go to her room and think about what she did. She was rather bored and Yoru -nee was nowhere to be found. She could look for the other animals, but they didn't talk like Yoru did. She had thought about what she did, but she figured that if someone pours water on you then it's perfectly fine to throw mud at them. It never occurred that she got in trouble for staining their clothes and not, throwing mud at them, like she thought.

Keiko slipped out of the building after checking that nobody would be able to find her. She had made a decoy for her bed. Everyone else knew that she had been grounded and they wouldn't be asking her for anything.

The first thing she noticed was that everything was quiet. This wouldn't normally be so strange if it wasn't for the fact that this was the third district. The business section of the third district in fact. It was supposed to be bustling with people but the atmosphere felt dead, as if all life had been sucked out of it. Something told her that she should keep her head down if she was going to move around.

It would be just like old times, when she was all by herself.

* * *

Aizen was preparing to use the power of the creature to open a path to the spirit realms. Once he was done one of three things were going to happen. The first is that he will open up a path to the heavenly realms, the second was that the hogyoku would be completed and supercharged, the third was that he would get some very strong subordinates. By his standards, this was not a well put together plan.

Then again, this was also a unique opportunity. Beings with the power to shape the world around them like it was nothing did not show up very often. The only other ones that he knew of were that human girl, and who ever managed to damage the hogyoku as he was leaving soul society. The wolf was without a doubt the most powerful one though. He had captured it with out breaking so much as breaking a nail (not that it had put up much of a fight) and now it was the key to success.

Amaterasu on the other hand was waiting. She knew that kabegami did not like having her domain breached. She had told the cat god to wait until she was called before acting. So much time had passed since the Yami era that it had all but faded to obscure lore that only the oldest of the beast clans could recall. She had taken down the lord of darkness when he was whole. Trying to subjugate her or any of her children with only a small fragment was madness.

She had to give this man credit for creativity and ambition though.

She felt her own power getting sucked out of her and into the crystal and watched as the shard become whole once more. The walls between dimensions weakening as this happened. She could feel things shift as the ethereal glow of her pelt fade and forms began to emerge from the crystal. She took a deep breath. If anything was going to happen it would be now.

_\- Heed my call and come forth! - _she called.

She had the honor of seeing Aizen speechless for the first time in a long time.

The hogyoku had become supercharged with power, too much power actually.

It still wouldn't have been enough to forcefully drag the gods from their realms with out Amaterasu's command.

The sphere cracked as the wall separating dimensions shattered and light filled the room.

Eleven animal gods that had just been summoned by their mother sat in a circle around Aizen and Amaterasu. They were all slightly disoriented from being forcefully dragged from the heavenly realms. They were slightly confused at seeing a shinigami speaking in front of them. At first they didn't deem him worth any notice. Then they noticed Amaterasu bound at his feet.

The first to rise was the phoenix god. White hot flames erupted from the ends of its feathers as it rose into the air. What would've normally been a pipe burst into flames and reformed into a sword. _-Lady Amaterasu!-_

The next to rise was the horse god. It's mane and tail becoming the breeze itself. The fan on its back remaining perfectly still despite the increasing wind blowing around it. _-We have come as you called!-_

Then the boar god rose. It shook off its confusion and a large bomb rose from beneath it. The sphere was a firecracker at first, but slowly, its form changed. Bright orange faded and became black, a fuse slowly replaced with a pin, the smooth became segmented, until the firecracker became a grenade. _-What would you have us do?-_

Amaterasu only sighed. _-Humor this one for a while. Then go to Kabegami. Don't take too long. We will interact with him again.-_

One by one the gods rose and they all bowed down to their leader.

Aizen, was pleased. The hogyoku had become more damaged because of this stunt but it was worth it. He now had twelve god like beings to command. He was pleasantly surprised when thirteen came to him instead of six like he had anticipated. It seems this wolf had much more power to it then he thought, even if nothing showed up during his tests and experiments.

"Gin. Kaname. Take these creatures to the new quarters. I have more to do" He commanded.

Once he was alone in the room with Amaterasu again, he started trying to use its power to repair the hogyoku.

Then she barked.

Aizen only had a moment to blink at the sudden action when the ground shook.

Amaterasu shook off the binding spell holding her (Not really) in place and hopped off the podium she was standing on.

She took one more look at him before dashing off and disappearing.

* * *

Today was not a good day because were weirdos wandering around soul society.

Keiko had decided to look for Yori again and as soon as she came out she saw the scariest thing. There were flowers growing out of people, and they all acted wrong.

She had discovered early on that anybody that was fighting and not using a zanpakuto was dangerous. Normally this is because someone doing well without a weapon against someone with a weapon, would be even better if they were using a weapon.

These people were using monsters to fight, which makes them even more dangerous. Their monster could fight and then they could fight.

Keiko was currently running away from one of them. It had seen her when she ducked underground and had been following her since. She had done everything she was told to do when being chased, kicking up dirt, shouting gibberish, not running in a straight line, Climbing back out of the tunnels in a different place, throwing sand in his face when light didn't blind him, and kicking him in the privates. Nothing had worked.

She had also tried some of the fancier things that she was taught. Like jumping from roof to roof or dashing but she gave that up quickly because it was tiring and getting tired right now would be bad. That and she wasn't actually fast enough to out speed him, only her size and natural agility had kept her safe up till this point.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT. GET BACK HERE" shouted the man.

She didn't know what the crazy man wanted with her, but she was sure it wouldn't be good.

The flower fox puppets that followed him kept shouting too. Only they yelled things like 'yes master' and 'Your wish is my command' instead of the bad words from the crazy man.

She didn't know which one was worse.

"Yori -nee! YORI -NEE! MAMA! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She cried.

Keiko had been running for a while now. She didn't really know where she was and the crazy guy was catching up to her. She tried to go just a little bit faster but her lungs were on fire and her legs weren't working right.

She gave a small squeal when she felt rough hands grab her.

"You have been such a pain to catch." Said the man. He brought her to his face and snarled. "I WAS going to use you as a hostage but after the trouble you gave me, I think I'll eat you instead."

It took several moments for the words to sink in and Keiko lost it. She started thrashing and screamed. She tried to scream again but she felt hands wrap around her neck. She did not want to die. She didn't want to be eaten by this psychotic individual.

Unbeknownst to Keiko, she had infact managed to kick him several times in the sternum when she was thrashing about.

"Damn Brat" Hissed the man. He looked away for a few moments and seemed to find something more to his taste. "Tch, too much trouble. I got bigger fish to fry." Then he let her go.

Keiko took the opportunity to jump through the window of the nearest building and make herself scarce.

* * *

The moment their god had given the order all the gods unleashed their power at once. The result was carnage the likes of the defected captains had never seen. One quarter of las niches had been blown to dust. There wasn't a single trace of a castle existing. The false sky had been created to keep arranger from being creeped out by shooting stars had also been destroyed. Every thing caught in it had disappeared as well. It happened so fast that neither captain was exactly sure what had happened. They could feel the creatures moving about unseen.

"Ichimaru."

"Yeah?"

"This entire section of Las Noches just disappeared. Did you see what happened?"

"Just a whole lot o' fog and an earthquake."

"How troublesome."

"We'd better catch them."

"Indeed"

* * *

In the mean time, Aizen was irritated.

It had taken him quite some time to find the damn wolf again. He had found the wolf flooding the dungeons of las Noches with rain from god knows where. It looked like a war zone. Szayel had worked himself into a frenzy trying to figure out why there were shooting stars in a world where there were supposed to be none. Many others that had been caught in the rain had had parts of their body melted off.

This was getting ridiculous. Gin and Kaname were nowhere to be seen and he had better things to do then deal with arrancar. That wolf had to be punished.

"You will cooperate with me wolf." he commanded.

The wolf twisted his head behind him and drew a golden glaive.

A challenge

The wolf struck first. It dragged the glaive in a circle and unleashed a wave of light from that point. When Aizen blocked it with a barrier the wolf took the opportunity to strike at his back.

To Aizen's surprise it managed to cut him, even when he dodged. It was much faster then it appeared. He could't exactly tell how fast but it was obvious to him that it was holding back.

The wolf backed away for a few moments before lunging at him again. This time, it struck much faster. The wolf came at him with a cyclone around it.

"Hado number 33! Sokatsui!" he called. Launching a ball of energy at the beast, only to have it sent flying back at him faster then when it left.

That was interesting, it was the first definitive proof he had that the wolf was something special, he had chalked seeing past kyoka suigetsu to blinking before it was released as that used to happen when he practiced on animals. Up till this point he had more or less assumed that the only special about the beast was its intelligence. Countering Kido without a word was not something any ordinary being could do. Perhaps the wolf was from the beast clan like Komamura.

He couldn't think of much else before the cyclone was upon him and he felt the wind cut into him.

He and the wolf continued to dance around each other, a strike here, blast there, Aizen countering Amaterasu with kido, Amaterasu countering him with power slash, drawing crowds of various hollow and arranger, and blowing through walls. The hollows follow the strongest, to them this was a battle of supremacy. Aizen noted that if he lost he would be greatly inconvenienced as he would lose the majority of his subordinates.

"Wolf. Why do you oppose me? The spirit king has neglected this world and we all suffer for it." He asked as he lowered his sword. "I have the power to defeat the barriers that separate us from him. I can lift the banishment of your clan. I have the means to do so."

The wolf merely yawned and went to sleep, not that he noticed. He continued to preach his goals. "The Hōgyoku is able to manifest the desires of those around it. However, this manifestation will not be successful unless the possessors of those desires have the strength to carry it out. In a way, its ability might be better termed a 'guiding force'. However, it is a peculiar quality of living beings that when it comes to achieving those petty desires that their crude hearts enshrine, they tend to have remarkable levels of success. Don't you agree wolf?"

It was at this moment that he realized that the wolf had gone to sleep.

An awkward silence settled over the area. Nobody was quite sure what to make of this. Aizen was not accustomed to being ignored, people always acknowledged his presence, whether with awe and respect, or with fear and suspicion. His power and rank made it impossible for any other reaction to happen.

The wolf, noticing the sudden silence, woke up and stared for a few moments before getting up and walking through a hole in the wall. There was no need to fight again.

Ulquiorra moved to stop her when Aizen held up a hand "Leave it be. I will deal with that later." and began walking out of the dungeons.

He had drawn enough power from the wolf to repair the hogyoku. Not enough to wake it completely, but enough for his use.

* * *

Amaterasu walked until she came upon a tree. At least, it looked like a tree. It was the largest stone formation for hills around. That didn't matter much to her though. She bloomed it anyway.

Instead of regular living flowers, crystalline flowers of every color and shape bloomed from the branches. The light from Amaterasu's pelt reflected through the whole tree and glowing orbs flowed from it.

She walked up the tree and picked a few flowers she found satisfactory and put them away before bringing something that Hueco Mundo had never seen before.

She drew a circle behind the crystal tree and watched it happen.

A sunrise.

* * *

**Author's note- Wow... That was tiring. I think ****I'm going to need a proof reader because I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting some details. Volunteers?**

**Much apologies for the delay. Microbiology exams tend to get in the way of writing. I guess its useful if i ever dive into squad 12. I recently realized that this story is my longest piece of writing ever. Really. I also discovered that i have no clue how to write an actual battle. I've never done that before. I can't really think of a way to make the fight epic either, seeing as I picture Ammy vs Aizen like I picture Ammy vs Waka. I can see the two of them dancing around each other, neither one willing to go all out. Followed by Aizen monologuing and Ammy taking a nap. **

**The sunrise thing was an experiment on my part. I'm pretty curious about the reactions of the hollows when they see a flowering 'tree' and the sun for the first time in forever. I may or may not write the reactions of everyone in Hueco Mundo. Let me know if i should.**

**Another thing, should I have the chibi brush gods? I mean having tons of gods running around is bound to be pretty funny, but it means more drabbles and fillers in the future. Not to mention i might loose track of some details.**

**As for Keiko, she's dealing with bounts. I'm not sure if I made that clear enough. Mabashi finds her as he's hunting down Soifon and figured that a little kid would either make a good hostage, or a old snack. So how did Keiko avoid being caught and eaten? Simple, she's tiny and she's being under estimated. She is more or less finding the smallest and most uncomfortable places, like under the steps, between buildings, through trees, etc. Plus, has anyone ever tried to hold a thrashing toddler? Those kids pack a wallop for their size!**

**Thanks much for the support! Comments and ideas are welcome.**


	12. It's Nothing Dangerous Really

Tia Harribel was not a typical hollow. She was female for one, and she did not actively seek to consume her kind.

For the most part, she was at peace with her life style. She had those that were most important to her and they were mostly safe from the more rowdy male hollow. She was always wary of those the others that lived in the castle. She was the only female and she was well endowed. This alone meant that she was harassed. Her power kept the weaker new at bay, but the likes of Nnoitra and Barragan were always near by.

The arrival of the wolf had upset her peace and she wasn't sure what to make of that. On one hand, its presence kept her unpleasant colleagues away and it had given them a night sky to view, something she had not expected. On the other, with the appearance of the night sky it reminded her of the emptiness that she had been keeping at bay.

She was the first to feel the warmth and also the first to see the light.

A great ball of light had appeared in the sky, brightening the land.

Most of the time this was an indicator of a powerful fight but she did not feel anything aside from the warmth. It reminded her of the time when she was alive, just a little. It felt safe and calming and warm, quite a contrast to what Hueco Mundo usually felt. There were thousands of light orbs flowing up into the sky.

She called her fraccion to her, they were to investigate the lights.

* * *

They were in awe when they saw the source.

It was a giant tree with glistening flowers with a familiar wolf sitting at the base. The wolf was looking at the tree with great satisfaction and she seemed to be drawing power from the light. They could see small wisps of light coming from the body.

"Lady wolf. Please explain what is going on." Requested Harribel.

The wolf didn't answer. It only got up and walked away from the tree. When the wolf had walked a sufficient distance she turned toward them and sat once more.

It was at this time the four arrancar noticed the sky changing. It was turning from black to purple to red and then to gold as the sun began to rise from the horizon. It was terrifying and it was beautiful. Nobody who saw it could look away.

It wasn't their first sunrise. They had seen it before when they had gone to the world of the living. But the world of the living was full of buildings, pollution, and lights which dulled the effect. Hueco Mundo had none of these things so the light shone with out any interference. The light also felt different from that of the world of the living. It felt safe, and warm, and it made them feel whole.

The wolf gestured that they should go to it. Step into the light. When they hesitated, the wolf simply smiled at them. -_That man will not find you. You will be safe-_

They were still apprehensive, but in the end, Harribel went first. Thousands of orbs of praise left her body as she walked but still she kept walking. Her subordinates followed shortly afterwards, unwilling to be left behind.

Out of all the hollows that found peace and fulfillment that day, none gave as much praise as those women.

* * *

It had been a long and rather painful day. Soi Fon made her way back to her office. As much as she wanted to go home and sleep, she still had a great deal of paperwork left to do courtesy her lieutenant's lack of organization skills. Her first priority was the report on that puppeteer bount. She would forget a lot of details by tomorrow and his ability was dangerous. She shuffled to her office and began her report.

She could vaguely describe him as a psychopathic drug addict. His behavior matched that of someone who had an addiction and allowed it to consume every aspect of his life. His doll was a flower with a fox head at the base. It could probably pass for a children's toy or an exotic flower if not for its unpleasantly shrill voice.

Soi Fon would have kept writing if she hadn't noticed something sniffling at that moment. Something was in her office. She slowly put her pen down and tried to sense any foreign reiatsu. She felt something, but it was very weak, likely coming from a civilian. Oddly enough she couldn't actually trace it to its origin, leaving her physically scour the room.

She waited a few moments until she heard the a hiccup. It was coming from her file cabinet, a used one no less. Who ever was hiding must be very small.

She slowly opened the cabinet and was immediately greeted with a shriek and a punch to the face. The punch didn't hurt in the least, the screaming on the other hand, was very painful, and loud. It took her a moment to recover from the shock and get a good look at what was in her file cabinet.

It was a little girl, younger then Lieutenant Kusajishi. She was rather ratty looking, covered in dirt, likely from somewhere in Rukongai. She had dark hair and light hazel eyes. She also had tear stains on her face and judging by the smudged papers underneath, she had likely been in there for a while. Interesting. The girl looked at her for a few moments and started crying again.

Soi Fon didn't know what to say, You didn't find small children hiding in your office very often. How in the name of the spirit king did she get in here anyway!? Whats more, she had absolutely no experience with children other then Kenpachi's hellion, whom which she would humor then pass off to someone else. Not to mention, Yachiru didn't cry very often and when she did candy would put an end to it. She was the youngest in her family and the age gaps were never that large between he and her siblings.

The trouble was, she didn't have any candy in her office. It was how she kept the pinkette away. Maybe some fruit would work.

She walked back to her desk and pulled out a bunch of grapes and offered them to the girl. The child refused them and screeched something about fattening up to be eaten.

"Pardon?"

"Y- YOU'RE JUST G-GONNA EAT ME" The girl wailed.

"What!?"

Now it was getting out of hand. There was obviously a problem with security if a girl could sneak into her office and camp out in her paper work, possessed officers be dammed. She couldn't get any worthwhile information if the child was blubbering about getting eaten or what ever. Actually, she was beginning to doubt if she could get any worthwhile information from the brat altogether. Thankfully she still had one resource.

"OMAEDA!" she called. Her lieutenant was grating beyond belief, but he was the eldest sibling in his family and he did have experience dealing with small children. She would rather put up with him then Kenpachi. He should be back in the barracks right about now. She didn't like to admit it but she would have to take cues from him for this situation.

...

...

She was about to take another deep breath when he came barreling in through her door. She shut down his attempts at conversation by quickly pointing out the girl, who had once again taken residence inside her file cabinet. To her amusement, he was also punched when he pried the drawer open. She wasn't crying this time though which made the situation easier on her ears.

"Whats your name?" He asked in a low voice. "I'm Marechiyo. That woman that you punched earlier was my Captain, Soi Fon"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Came the reply.

"Well, what am I supposed to call you?" He asked "I can't just call you girl. That's rude and vague. Plus my captain would have my head on a platter. She's very scary you see."

He ignored the twitch on his captains face when he said that.

"Oh... You can call me Kei- I mean Nakenashi. That's what Enji- nii calls me. " She said after a bit of thought.

"How did you get in here anyway?"

"The window was open."

Both soul reapers groaned internally at the answer.

"No really, how did you get in here with out anyone noticing?"

"The window was open and I fell in" She chirped with a completely straight face.

"Ok then." Began Omaeda. "Why won't you come out of the file cabinet?" This question would likely give them the answers they were looking for, and hopefully give an indication as to what they should do with her.

"The scary guy will get me if I do" she promptly replied. Then, as if a dam in side of her broke, she started crying and panicking. "HE'S GONNA EAT ME. HE'S GONNA EAT ME! KEEP HIM AWAY!"

The two officers looked at each other. A scary person that threatened to eat her. That meant either a vasto lorde or a stray bount. Since a hollow of that power would have been detected lost instantly it had to be the latter. Was that bount still in the squad two barracks?

"Ah. Don't worry er... Nakenashi. Just tell us what he looks like so we can be sure. My captain can scare him away." said Omaeda as he gestured to Soi Fon.

"Lieutenant! Do not slander me in presence of this child." She barked. "Or anywhere for that matter"

Omaeda gave the girl a look that said 'See what I mean'

She stopped crying and smiled a little. "You promise? Both of you? "

Both of them nodded and waited for her to speak.

"Well, he had crazy eyes. He was bigger then me. He wore these really weird clothes with weirdly heavy shoes. There was this thing that had this really annoying voice that followed him around." Described the girl.

Soi Fon was the first to respond to the unhelpful description. If anything, that description could apply to a great deal of people. "... That was very _very_ descriptive. Be more specific. How were his clothes weird?"

The girl thought to herself for a few seconds trying to not think of what happened earlier. "Grey with a big bug on the chest."

"What kind of bug?" Asked her lieutenant. And thus began another round of vague and unhelpful descriptions of a bug, at least until Omaeda gave her a some paper and a pen to draw it. The bug she had attempted to describe had turned out to be a homonka.

"Oh. That one. I killed it earlier." Said Soi Fon. Realizing that the puppeteer Bount had likely come across the girl when she herself had been making her way to the barracks. Then cast her aside once he saw her in the courtyard.

"I don't believe you. Wheres the body?" Asked the girl, her eyes narrowing at them.

"Why won't you believe us?"

"Enji- Nii said that nothing is dead unless you see the body with a stick through it." came the response. "Or else it's fake"

"Nakenashi. The scary person's body turned into sad when he died." Said Omaeda gently. "We have his clothes if you want to see them."

The girl nodded and Soi Fon sent for them to be brought here. But the minute she saw them she shouted "You're Lying! THE BUG ISN'T ON HERE! LIAR" She continued repeating it even as Soi Fon and Omaeda tried to explain that it had been there but it disappeared, without revealing how Suzumebachi actually worked. Then she shut herself in the file cabinet and refused to come out for the rest of the day, biting their hands if they tried to pry her out by force.

The captain looked at her lieutenant. He shook his head in response.

She sighed and resumed her paperwork. But not before setting out a glass of water and an apple for her when she decided to come back out. Hopefully it would be before she actually needed to access what was inside the file cabinet. At least her ears could recover from the screaming in the mean time.

Kids were more trouble then they were worth. If Nakenashi ever developed spiritual powers she wouldn't mind having her in her division. The brat was pretty observant and obviously had a degree of common sense to not tell her name to people she didn't trust, even if she almost did. The punch wasn't too bad either, and it felt like it was something that had been practiced, even if it wasn't very effective or strong.

Soi Fon had half a mind to slug Omaeda when he started poking fun at her. But she figured that since it did get the runt to stop crying and talk, she may as well let it go. His family had taken it upon them selves to be as annoying as possible around her. His father became like that shortly after she became his superior. Then his son took up the mantle when he retired. It was embarrassing, even if the incompetence was faked in public it still made her look bad. Some of his stunts were down right revolting. Like when ever he ate those damned rice crackers and left crumbs everywhere, even on her head!

All in all, today was not her day. She had had her subordinates taken from her, gotten stabbed and poisoned, nearly died, nearly lost her hearing, there was a brat making a mess of her records, and her lieutenant had made her into a joke, again. It seemed that she wold be spending another night in her office cleaning everything up.

* * *

**Author's note- I've always wondered how Soi Fon would deal with a kid on a regular basis. She herself is kind of childish if you think about it what with her mood swings and what not. Yachiru does not count because she spends her time with Kenpachi. Anyways, Keiko is based off of one of my cousins. The whole interaction came from a time when she got scared of a spider and refused to come out from the closet. The reason she doesn't just force it out of the girl is because she's channeling her experience with Yachiru, who as you know, is a scary destructive and cute little bugger.**

**Nakenashi means something that is in such small amounts that it may as well be nothing. I thought it was fitting since she was hiding in a file cabinet. I was originally going to have her hide inside Soi Fon's desk but that stretched even my imagination.**

**I do not believe that Omaeda is as jerkish as he seems. So in this universe, Omaeda is definitely faking his idiocy. I mean, He has younger siblings of his own so it would make sense that he would know how to deal with small children. Since snobbishness is rampant in Seireitei I figure he would be the type to entertain his younger siblings by poking fun at other people. He is lieutenant for a reason.**

** Though in this world, he and Soi Fon have a somewhat passive aggressive relationship and them embarrass each other on purpose. Why? Because i think its funny.**

**As for the Hueco Mundo segment. Amaterasu's sunlight is purifying the hollows that look directly at it. They are releasing praise when they get purified so she gets more power from it. Arrancars and other ****menos grande give off way more praise then other hollows because they are made up of tons of hollows. I originally planned for Starrk and Lillynette to get purified too but I couldn't figure out a way to make it work.**

**As for the blooming crystal tree? Well, it looks like a tree and i like how crystals look so i figured why not. Amaterasu does have the power to bloom things that are not actual flowers, so why not?**

****Thanks for the support!****

**Comments and criticism are always welcome and they help motivate me to making the next chapter.**

**Edit: Added a description of Keiko. I Didn't realize that i hadn't written one yet.**


	13. Ack!

Managing creatures from beyond this world was a great deal harder then it looked. The inside of las Noches had practically become a zoo after the first summoning ritual. The gods flat out refused to obey anyone unless Aizen himself was in the room with them. If he did not supervise him they would start destroying their surroundings like the wild animals they are. However, they were exceedingly obedient and when he ordered them to give him instructions on summoning more manageable gods they did. He then commanded them to leave him be and they disappeared having taken his order to mean, leave him be permanently.

The result was far less taxing on the hogyoku, while no cracks appeared, it was clear that there wasn't enough energy present to awaken it.

It was also much more numerous then the originals. Granted they weren't very intimidating, seeing as they were all very young children, but they will do. He instructed the summons to repair the damaged portion of his fortress and they did so in less than an hour. It was as if they had turned back time itself, a reality shifting power. Unfortunately, since the newer summons were children they began tearing everything up again almost immediately afterwards, only this time high pitched shrieks were added into the mix.

Aizen sighed and ran his hand through is hair for the umpteenth time, Children were too troublesome. They were easily manipulated, providing they were at adolescence. Too young and they wouldn't understand beyond what was in front of them, too old and they become nosy. Where was Gin when you needed him? It would not do for his new lackeys to be without-

CRASH! BOOM!

He groaned internally. This would be the last time he would ever take such a risk. He was lucky his plans hadn't unraveled at the seams. The current delay was a little disconcerting, but there were more ways to achieve his goals. He just had to rework his plans. Gin was clever enough to manage a group of rowdy children with out accidentally releasing them from service. Then again maybe not, its entirely possible for him to join the children in causing chaos.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BITCHCUNTS!" Screamed an angry Nnoitra. "HOW DARE YOU TRIP ME!"

He was never going to summon gods again, they were too much work to command and he couldn't just order them to obey someone else in addition to himself. It was too easy for them to misinterpret that command.

There was another crash followed by children's shrieks and laughter.

Perhaps the original plan of using Kurosaki's friend would have worked out better.

* * *

Soifon the elder had taken to wandering about Seireitei. It was abysmally easy once Madoka pilfered a uniform, seeing as the members of the so called stealth force did not know each other well. Granted having their faces covered probably helped. She didn't even need to do that seeing as she could pass herself off as the captain, or several other officers. They were also easily seen and everywhere, which meant that this particular section was probably the decoy. They definitely originated from her empire seeing as the people who were in charge were her descendants.

It seemed her family quirk carried through and she shared her face with several other members of the family. It was a good thing that only their face was the same. If she saw clones of herself running about she would have broke character long ago laughing. She would be summoned sooner or later since she had an idea of what was going to happen in the future.

Then again it was just as likely for Soul Society to put a bounty on her head. Soul reapers were strong and plentiful, but progressive they were not. It was a good thing that her own resources survived and flourished in her absence. Granted they weren't quite as powerful as the shinigami, but they were much more plentiful. Plus, there was a section that specialized in explosives and those were always helpful in times of conflict.

If the visions and dreams that Kabegami gave her during her extended nap were reliable, the living world had changed dramatically while should society had not. There were changes, but they were dealt with in the same fashion they always had. Namely, find who is responsible, eliminate them, and pretend that nothing ever happened.

Only this time it didn't work, the guilty party had planned something in advance resulting in the current crisis.

She noticed her body started to hurt again, her arm especially. Kabegami would have to return to her body soon which meant that she would lose her disguise since the end of her hair would turn white.

There was also the matter regarding the odd creatures that had been flying about possessing her 'coworkers'. One had in fact tried to possess her as well. Kabegami who was rather possessive would not stand for that and destroyed the flower puppet along with any others that attempted to sprout from her midsection.

_-Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?-_

Under normal circumstances she would be inclined to take charge of the situation and eradicate the threat.

But these were not normal circumstances. She was not in charge for one. She was also not born in soul society, at least, not as they knew it. She also nothing invested in the current situation, and by nothing she meant her (many) descendants, the Hachidori, and her possible successor.

Ugh. This could be problematic.

* * *

This was a disaster. The brat was NOTHING like Yachiru. For one thing, Yachiru never cried over being attacked.

When Soi Fon tried the same with this one she accused her of trying to poison her. She would have normally tried rougher methods like the ones her parents had used on her and her siblings, but her lieutenant had commented that a they still didn't know how a little peasant girl had gotten into their barracks and it would be much more difficult to get information out of her if she was broken or incoherent. She didn't want the girl crying on too many records. Plus, her experience with the president of the shinigami women's association left her very wary of girls smaller then herself.

It was now the middle of the night and Soi Fon was still in her office trying to convince the girl to leave the file cabinet so that she could reorganize everything.

"Please come out of there." She sighed.

"NO!" Came the reply "The scary guy is still outside!"

Soi Fon pinched the bridge of her nose. They had been stuck in this circle for hours with her being unable to convince the girl that the clothing samples were not in fact fake. She wanted to scream and pull out her hair and it must've showed because the crying got louder. It seemed that she really would have to tell the girl about her shikai abilities, something she would rather on do since knowing that someone would kill in two hits would no doubt unsettle the brat more then she was already.

"Girl. Stop crying and listen to me." She commanded. When the sobs became sniffles she continued. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi."

She then explained to the girl in front the details of her abilities, even stabbing herself through a napkin to show her the homonka then removing the napkin to prove that it was not in fact a physical mark, but merely an indicator that would dissolve when it was no longer needed.

"I could show you what happens after the second strike, but you and I are the only living things here right now." Finished Soi Fon and she braced herself for the fit that would likely follow. "Now get out of the file cabinet and let me finish cleaning! I would like to get some sleep before the sun rises"

"...ok" Said the girl and she slowly climbed out of it.

The captain blinked in surprise before taking out all the smudged papers and setting them aside so she can try and salvage the contents. The girl simply stood next to her and watched her clean for a few moments before making an odd noise. "I don't feel so good." was all she managed to say before ejecting the contents of her stomach onto Soi Fon's shoulder.

Soi Fon groaned internally as the the day's stress finally got to the peasant. She noted that the contents of the girl's stomach were liquid but thicker than water, which meant that she had eaten solid food within the last couple of days. Now that was interesting.

The Captain muttered things that should never be repeated in public while she sat the child down. Then she reached for a box of baking soda that she kept in her desk specifically for when her lieutenant over eats, and poured it over the mess on the floor to remove the smell, then on herself and Nakenashi for the same reason.

"I didn't mean to make a mess" mumbled the girl.

Nakenashi looked as if she was about to start weeping again when a mirror was brought to her face. She looked ridiculous with her splotchy red face, the bits of baking soda sticking to her head, and the occasional snot bubble. In spite of herself she started giggling at her own appearance. Then she looked as the woman in the same room and giggled at her too. There was something incredibly funny about the crouching figure with her serious expression and vomit and white powder on her shoulder, very much like when she first found Yori -nee, or maybe it was the other way around, she couldn't remember. She then noticed that she looked just like the woman who had been looking after her, only smaller and more grumpy.

"You're like Shii -mama. Only smaller." Yawned the girl.

"Am I?" Replied the woman as she swept up the vomit on the floor.

"Yup. She has these squishy things on her chest." Keiko patted her chest for a few moments before leaning back. "I asked her why. But she said I was too young."

Soi Fon gagged at the frank manner the girl spoke. Keiko didn't really notice but continued to babble as sleep started to over take her.

"I asked Yori -nee but she ended up laughing too hard to answer. She promised me a hug."

Soi Fon continued to go through the records in the file cabinet while half listening to Nakenashi. Most of them seemed to be more wrinkled then damaged.

"I like Yori -nee. She's nice and warm and we have lots of fun. We dance together sometimes. She even showed me the secret tunnel."

Soi Fon turned and narrowed her eyes. "A secret tunnel?" She questioned.

"Uh huh. It's a secret" And with that the girl fell asleep before Soi Fon could ask any more questions.

As much as she hated to admit it. Her lieutenant was right. The girl definitely had secrets. Who ever this Yorine person was might know some useful secrets. Things said when the mind was addled by exhaustion were questionable but often had a seed of truth in them.

In the end, Soi Fon had to spend the night in the office. Nakenashi refused to leave the office, saying that there were "other scary people outside" and threw a fit when Soi Fon left the office and locked the door behind her.

During the night Soi Fon learned a few things. The first was that Nakenashi had night mares which would wake her up from the shrieking. The second was that Nakenashi was unable wake herself up from the night mare with out outside assistance. The third was that sitting up with eyes wide open did not mean that she was awake, even if she girl wasn't howling like a stuck pig. The fourth was that Nakenashi punched as hard as one of her unseated officers when woken up.

* * *

**Author's note- Has anybody else ever had that moment where you realize that what should be simple and quick actually needs a hell of a lot more work then you thought? Thats what I'm going through right now. I misplaced the charger to my laptop which means that my access to writing will be limited, On top of that i have finals coming up. **

**On second thought, Nah. I like writing a bit too much to let life get in the way. I would appreciate it if someone pointed out any grammatical errors though. I'm still combing through the previous chapters correcting anything i fine and editing in general. Because i always miss something.**

**Onto the commentary. The Yorine and Yori -nee thing is on purpose. The same goes for Soi Fon and Soifon until i come up with another way to differentiate between the two. They are practically mirror images since the don family has a quirk just like the doumeki line from xxxholic. I didn't misspell it or anything.**

** I'm not sure if I did Soi Fon justice though. I don't think she's quite cold enough to torture a toddler, but I wouldn't put it past her to actually be tempted to try it. She probably would lose her temper and take it out on keiko if she knew how keiko snuck in. I doubt she would believe the truth which was keiko climbing in through the open window.**

**Hachidori- humming bird. Or if you want a really literal translation Bee bird. I forgot to post this before much apologies about that.**

**Comments and ****criticisms are welcome.**

**I sincerely thank you for your support krazyfanfiction.**


	14. From the mouth of girls

Yoruichi came upon an interesting sight when she snuck into her protege's office the next morning. The little girl that she had been looking for was sleeping in the lap of her student, who was going through a stack of recruitment forms. She looked rather disheveled, as if she had been woken up repeatedly over the night. There was the faint smell of vomit that lingered in the room. If Yoruichi had been in human form she probably wouldn't have noticed, but she was not.

She sighed in relief knowing that Keiko had not been one of the many bound casualties. She rather liked spending time with the girl who reminded her of herself when she was little.

"Well now! I didn't know you had it in ya!" She shouted from her spot on the window. "So who's the father?"

"L-Lady Yoruichi!" Exclaimed a red faced Soi Fon "P-Please Don't joke like that! She's not mine!"

"Oh relax. If you keep taking everything so seriously you're gonna give yourself a heart attack." The cat hopped down from the spot and padded to the corner of the room.

Soi Fon rolled her eyes and threw a dress robe at the cat. "With all due respect lady Yoruichi, rumors of pregnancy out of wedlock are not something I want to deal with. It never ends well for anybody"

"Thats true. Nobles are notorious for being petty and snide." There was a puff of smoke as she transformed. "Oblivious too, but I digress. So why do you look like you spent the night at a bar and got in a fight? You kinda smell."

Soi Fon then explained the events of the previous evening, pausing when she noticed the serious expression on her mentor's face.

Keiko chose this moment to wake up. She yawned a rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before noticing someone she had never seen before. She stared at her for a few moments before remarking. " You're naked. Are you a nudist? "

Soi Fon reacted in the same way most people would have if they heard that being asked in public, by turning red and doing a good impression of a large fish. "Nakenashi! You don't say things like that in public, especially to people like her! You should be embarrassed of your self!" Then she began stammering her apologies. "I am so sorry. She's just really young and-"

Yoruichi, who was used to this kind of thing from spending time with the girl in her cat form, only laughed and waved them off. "It's alright Soi Fon." Then she bent down so she could talk to Keiko at eye level. "I'm not naked, I have a dress robe on. How do you know what a nudist is anyway?"

"Shii -mama calls Enji -nii a nudist cos he keeps forgetting to put on his clothes."

Both adults squirmed uncomfortably at the comment. Soi Fon shook her head slightly. "I do not know what to say to that. Go pester Omaeda. I have work to catch up on." She commanded and returned to her paper work. She looked up after a few moments when she noticed that Keiko was still standing there. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Soi Fon, I don't think she knows who your talking about."

"...My lieutenant?" She tentatively suggested then frowned when the girl cocked her head. "Marechiyo? The man from last night?"

"But I don't know where he is." Whined the girl.

"That tub of lard? I'll take her" Volunteered Yoruichi. She hopped up and walked out of the room. "C'mon kid."

* * *

The two of them walked side by side for a few moments before Keiko turned to the older woman and said. "Your mean."

The woman blinked for a few moments and stopped. "What makes you say that?"

"It's not nice to call people a Soi Fon. Or tubs of lard."

"Whats wrong with being called Soi Fon?"

"Shii -mama says that those are girls slaves that are supposed to work until they break or die."

Yoruichi nodded in response. The strongest women of the Fon family had been called Soi Fon for as long as they had served the Shihoin. All of them had been workaholics. That word was nearly a taboo in her biggest resource."That makes sense. Calling anyone a slave is rude. But Soi Fon is her code name not her real name, she gets really mad if you call her anything else."

Keiko looked at the woman suspiciously "I'm still not saying it."

"Suit yourself. So what do I call you?"

"kei- I mean, Nakenashi" Keiko stuttered. She hoped that the woman across from her didn't notice.

"Nakenashi doesn't sound like a name either. Thats your code name isn't it?" She smiled when the girl squirmed. "Well, I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours?"

"I'm not supposed to tell my name to strangers" Keiko replied. She shifted awkwardly as she tried to get the woman's attention off herself. She wasn't comfortable when people were staring at her. It just felt wrong.

Yoruichi picking up on what the girl was thinking, thought for a few minutes before remembering something that Keiko had called her before when they first met. "Well, it looks like you have a good head on your shoulders. Call me Kitty then." She put her hands on the back of her head, imitating cat ears and grinned. "Meow"

"Ok Kitty." she giggled and the two of them continued on their way.

When the two of them found the lieutenant sleeping at his desk, snoring very loudly. Yoruichi stared at him for a few moments before grinning and turning to the child next to her. "Nakenashi? Do you like pranks?"

* * *

Soul Society looked like a disaster area in the aftermath of the bound attack. There were chunks missing from the walls and a division of unseated officers had to be situated at the gate to keep the peasants out. The casualties of the incited rebellion were minimal on the shinigami side, and much greater on the civilian side. The people of rukongai had realized that their support base was gone and they stood no chance against that which oppresses them, so now they have settled for throwing various objects at the shinigami guarding them. The most common of these objects were rocks, sticks, and feces.

Each week the captains would have a meeting to discuss the reparations. The first week Captain Soi Fon reported the girl in her office. The other captains had a hard time believing that until she provided a small photo and a deadly glare. She explained the girl was intact the reason for the delay in her reports and paper work, having cried on or lost a great deal of them.

The week after that Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, who was incredibly well known in soul society came and tried to convince the girl to leave. They hoped that meeting someone famous would prove an incentive. The girl in question accused him of being a bad "waffle hanger". Soi Fon had apparently been lucky in the sense that she looked like the girl's caretaker. Byakuya on the other hand, had a variety of things shouted at him in rapid succession, which he noted on the report. Some examples included:

_"Liar! Nobles don't name their kids Baka!"_

_"You're with the scary people aren't you!"_

_"I bet your here to eat me cos you hate cats!"_

_"Why are you staring at me like that? Your a pedo creep aren't you!"_

_"OH MY GOD YOU'RE TURNING INTO A FISH!"_

_"EWWWW! Captain -sis get the fish pedo creep away!"_

_"Wait you Just want to eat me to perv on captain -sis!"_

_"Your too old for captain -sis!"_

_"MARECHO -NII! THERE'S AN OLD FISH CREEP TRYING TO PERV ON CAPTAIN SIS!"_

The rest of the captains found the incident to be highly amusing and a great deal of strange rumors sprang from this incident.

The week after that Soi Fon started to look slightly off. It took her several moments longer for her to respond then they normally should. She had been seen nearly walking into people. She passed it off as long hours of trying to straighten her paper work out since she still had not recovered from the flooding a month earlier. She had been spending most of her time at the office trying to keep onto of everything despite the girl waking her up multiple times in the night. She did note that the girl was no longer afraid to leave her office unattended but was still unwilling to leave the building.

Captain Ukitake was the next person to try and persuade the girl to leave the barracks. His report noted that the child was fine with his presence until he introduced himself and offered her candy. The child immediately became pale as a sheet and spent the rest of his visit either behind or clinging to Soi Fon with her face in her shoulder. No amount of scolding or pleading could get her to say a word or explain her reaction.

The Fourth weekly captains meeting only had twelve captains How ever, Amaterasu had rejoined them. Soi Fon sent a badly written note explaining that the girl's night mares had become more frequent and more severe following Captain Ukitake's visit. She also explained that because of this she had not been able to get any sleep nor had she been successful in keeping the girl away from her. She consulted some of the few books she had on child psychology to try and get answers out of the child to leave only to discover that children cling harder when they are being pushed away and are less coherent when they are being pressed.

Amaterasu was largely unfazed when the events were told to her. She was more or less aware of how things were going to end and so she went to sleep after she realized what the meeting was about.

The fifth week was rather shocking. Soi Fon showed up with the girl clinging to her shoulders, fast asleep. In one hand she had a bottle of water. In the other hand she was holding her late paper work. She took her place in the room and promptly dared them to comment on it. Half an hour into the meeting Soi Fon put the girl in the corner of the room and rubbed her stiff shoulder and sorted through her stack of papers.

What happened afterwards shocked the rest of the captains but not the wolf. The girl began whimpering 'make it stop' after half an hour alone. After an hour she sat up and shrieked 'STOP LOOKING AT ME' at the top of her lungs repeatedly until Soi Fon poured half the contents of the water bottle on her. Upon checking that the girl was actually awake she had the girl drink the rest of the water and wrapped her in her captains Haori. She once again glared at anyone who dared to comment on her actions and returned to her place.

Keiko who just realized that she was not in a place that she recognized, promptly covered her head with the haori and cried.

* * *

Amaterasu got up from where she was sitting and went over to the crying child. She nosed it a few times to get its attention.

_-Are you feeling well?-_

The girl peeked out for a few moments before burying her face in Amaterasu's fur. She nodded but she didn't look like she had gotten much rest recently. It's too bad she does not specialize in dreams. Then again if, like many reoccurring night mares, they weren't dreams but memories, then not even Kasugami would be able to do anything.

_-Nightmares?-_

Another nod.

_-Do you remember them?-_

A shake.

_-Do you want to leave?-_

Another shake then a nod.

_-Do you want to leave with the young lady you have been staying with?-_

A nod.

_-Go back to sleep then. It will all work itself out.-_

Amaterasu looked back at the people staring at the two of them and yawned.

_-Everything has been taken care of. Go about your business.-_

* * *

Author's note- Ack! Writers block! The bane of every reader! I say reader because its the readers that have to sit in suspense waiting for the next chapter to come out. My finals are coming up so i won't be writing much. I will say that the next chapter will be more like the beginning since there will be more gods involved.

I was originally going to have Keiko call Soi Fon Taicho -nee but that was kind of awkward and i couldn't figure out why. I guess its the continuity thing.

The first time i heard byakuya's name i thought they said Baka too.

The thing with children getting clingier when they are rejected is quite true. I've also found that trying to reason with one when they are really scared is pretty much a waste of time. Yes at one point i will write out Keiko's nightmare.

Comments and criticisms are welcome.


	15. Orange ya glad I'm here?

Amaterasu was currently on her way to the second division headquarters with a scroll in her mouth. Yamamoto had declared that she was go go around and work with each division. Something about making herself useful weather or not she was a god. It made sense, since the the majority of the unranked officers tended to become distracted with her presence.

She had barely spent more then a week in the first division when she was kicked out. They worded it differently of course, but the face remains that she was kicked out. Whether it was for growing too many oranges or glassing the court yard during training, it wasn't important. It was too bad that she got kicked out before she got a change to ferment some of the oranges to make alcohol, but she could always try again at a later date. Orange season was ending anyway. Perhaps next year she could grow more then two tons of oranges.

As for the glassing incident, well, somethings are better left unspoken.

When she entered the building she was greeted to a rather scrawny shinigami sweeping the floor. She was a splitting image of the captain save for the fact that she moved like a shrinking violet and her hair was much messier in the front. In fact, the demeanor was different enough that most people wouldn't have given her a second glance. The young woman took the scroll from her mouth and gave it a quick glance before handing the scroll right back and stammering for her to follow.

* * *

"Head-Captain Yamamoto!" Began his lieutenant "The oranges have all been transferred to the kitchens"

Yamamoto nodded and dismissed his lieutenant. Admittedly he probably should have been more specific when he told the wolf woman to refill the supply stores but was it really necessary to spontaneously grow and cut down several hundred orange trees? The food stores were so full of oranges that there was a very good chance that they would all go bad before they could be eaten or sold.

Since that moment all the meals in the facility had been based around them.

He stared down at his uneaten lunch, an orange salad with a glass of orange juice, the 15th time he had it this week, and thought to himself. After they get rid of the oranges, the fruit will be banned in the first division for the next ten years.

Perhaps Captain Soi Fon would have better luck with the creature. They seem to get along fairly well already.

* * *

"Captain -sis! Someone's at your door" Called Nakenashi from her spot by the file cabinet. It had come out of nowhere and she had given no indication that she knew someone was coming before the announcement.

Soi Fon was about to ask her to clarify when the door slid open and one of her officers squeaked without entering in. "F-Forgive the intrusion C-Captain. The W-wolf is here to see y-you"

It was probably one of the newer officers. She would have to assign extra training to that one. Timidness and shyness are unbecoming of the punishment force. She began to ask for information when her favorite wolf came in. "Lady wolf!" She took the scroll from the wolf's mouth and opened it. "You stay where you are until I am done." She pointed at the other woman as she read the scroll.

It was a very uncomfortable moment when she realized that the wolf was not Yoruichi. To be fair, she knew that Lady Yoruichi could take on an animal form, but she had never seen it. Yoruichi had thought it was tremendously funny and she didn't know what the wolf thought of it. It was quite obvious that it was intelligent and sentient. Sometimes she felt the wolf was speaking, but she never heard anything clear. Still, having the wolf comfort her when she was upset meant that she had developed a soft spot for the fluffy beast, even if she didn't want to.

The scroll was a quick summation of how the wolf was to be rotated amongst the thirteen squads and that she had just finished it's service to the first division. The reason that she was being passed so quickly was the disruptive (and destructive) power it had unleashed in the first division. It also listed a warning that it was _That _Time again.

Soi Fon sighed and put the scroll away. "Lady Wolf. Go steal the food from my lieutenant's Office. All of it." She turned to the other woman. "You go to the court yard and wait for me to arrive"

When the other two left she turned to the girl in the room. "How did you know they were coming? A peasant like you shouldn't be able to detect reiatsu."

Then she braced herself for the inevitable circular discussion.

The girl was looking thoughtfully at nothing in particular. "I just felt it."

"Can you be more specific? How did you feel it?"

"I dunno. I just felt it."

"Where?"

"Ummmm... I dunno I just knew. My feet I guess? The ground shook a little when they got close."

Soi Fon nodded, it was the best she was going to get and it was somewhat understandable. Or it would be if she had felt the vibrations herself, which she hadn't.

She quickly set her things aside and left the room before the girl asked her what reiatsu was.

It seemed that the little girl might actually have some reikyrou after all. The only thing she needed to do was confirm that the girl did intact, need to eat. Nakenashi always rejected what was offered to her, saying that she wasn't hungry but Soi Fon had heard the stomach growl several times. Either that girl had unusually sharp senses, or she was sneaking food when no one was watching.

Then again, the girl might not be a shinigami either. It was quite obvious that the girl was hiding something. She had to have learned how to use kunai from _somewhere._ The girl kept throwing them at people that tried to take her outside and with a good deal of force as well. There was a hole in Omaeda's office about three inches deep to prove it.

Then there was the question of how the brat got into the weapon stores.

* * *

Amaterasu stalked into the lieutenants office. It looked like it was something of a wasted effort. The man was sitting and rushing through what looked like two months worth of paper work. When he finished put the stack aside and went to sleep.

Well. That was disappointing. Amaterasu sniffed the room trying to locate the food that was surely hidden in the room. The room was relatively clean and smelled of ink, paper, sweat, mold, poison, crackers and, perfume.

Amaterasu traced the cracker scent to its source and found a large stack of rice crackers and one turkey leg. She pocketed the rice crackers and started munching on the turkey leg. She turned back towards the figure and recognized it as the one that blinded in her first appearance. She was tempted to set off a cherry bomb in the room just for fun but decided against it. Things like that lose their effect if done too often. She would wait until enough time has passed.

She did return the belt she took the last time they met though.

* * *

The moment Soi Fon saw the girl at the courtyard she attacked. There was no better way to asses fighting skills then an ambush. The new girl had yet to reevaluated. Or perhaps she did and the paperwork was lost. It didn't matter anyway since the girl jumped and dodged her punch.

"C-Captain? W-Why?" The girl stammered as she redirected a kick. The girl struck at Soi Fon's pressure points but the captain danced around them.

The girl had good reflexes it seemed. The blocks were fast too, but she was rather thick headed if she couldn't pick up on her Captain's intentions through combat.

"Your name and division." Soi Fon ordered. Her opponent had finally seemed to guess the purpose of this meeting when she began attacking back. The strike speed was impressive but there was little to no force behind it or if there was, it was highly inconsistent. Her opponent relied heavily on disabling via pressure points which made a good deal of sense. She was fairly certain that her left arm would be aching for the next week after getting one of them hit.

The oddest thing was that despite the speed and intensity of the whole thing, the girl had barely shown any hohou techniques. The dashes and dodges were pure, physical speed. In fact, the reiatsu she could detect was rather abysmal. She would have to look into that.

" Ch- Chiyo Hagane M'am. I just transferred from the i- interior c-court troop." She wheezed. It was apparent that while she could redirect some her superior's attacks, it took a lot out of the woman. Her face was red from the exertion and her gait was becoming unsteady from being repeatedly struck.

Soi Fon stopped after getting another pressure point struck. This one was on her leg and it made standing VERY uncomfortable. She would have to go get that checked. Her opponent seemed on the verge of collapse herself and hunched over trying to catch her breath.

"When was this?"

"A- after the bount attack m-m'am. I-I was recommended for a transfer to m-m-make up for the losses i-in the punishment force." Chiyo shifted slightly and began rubbing her wrists.

"Your hohou leaves many things to be desired. Care to explain how you graduated from the academy?"

"U-Um. I didn't graduate from the academy." She shifted again and rubbed her left shoulder. Then she looked down at the ground as if resigned. "I d-don't know why. But I c-could never draw out my r-reiatsu out when I wanted to so I got kicked out." Then the girl picked herself up and shook off the cloud of depression. "B-but my friend knew someone who w-worked in the p-patrol corps and got me a job. I've worked very hard since then."

Soi Fon was torn between snorting in derision and humming with approval. What kind a shinigami was she if she couldn't draw on her reikyrou!? Then again, it was impressive in its own right to overcome that and actually be recommended for the punishment force. It showed a strong character to over come something like that. It seemed that the shrinking violet lived up to her name.

Then again, she would have to verify it in the files. Hopefully it was not amongst the ones that had been lost to the flood, weepy toddler, or her irritating lieutenant.

"Very well." Soi Fon turned around and began walking back to her office. She forced herself not to limp. "Dismissed Hagane."

* * *

Soifon the elder collapsed and lay where she stood. Her body ached more then it had since she woke from her long nap. She would have normally gone for longer but she admittedly was not expecting to actually fight.

_-Soifon, I have watched the fight.-_purred a familiar god. She felt the spirit manifest inside her head along with her zanpakuto spirit and the curse mark. The spirit seemed to pace for a few moments before making room for itself and settling down._ -It seems your descendant has nettle. Or perhaps you are just old.-_

"Lady Kabegami. Kindly take your comments and put them where lady Amaterasu cannot see them." She would always be grateful that the cat god eased the pain of her existence, but it could be rather grating at times. "In fact, '

_-Humph! She is most definitely your descendant. You are both rather rude.-_

"With all due respect. I am tired and I feel like I have just been stepped on by horses."

_-Well I would help you, but it is rather light out for you're hair to be turning white ne? Or do you want to show off for the people who are staring.-_

"I suppose I will lie here show them my battered and beaten body until dusk then. If you have nothing more useful to say then kindly stop mocking me."

_-I shall speak however I please.-_ The cat god shifted in her mind. _-You on the other hand, ought to take some more pride in your appearance. Pick your self up and recuperate somewhere private! It's undignifying to just lie there like a snake.-_

"I cannot recall how much you, Madoka, and Kesshobachi have said that." She muttered as she slowly picked herself up and began shuffling back to her abode. "I don't believe your sister would take well to that comment."

_-Well, maybe you should listen and stop treating yourself like an object! You are acting just like her.- _Huffed the cat god_ -In fact, I will make a deal. If you do not refer to your self as a object, I will not call you by your given name.-_

Chiyo did not deign to respond. She figured that it was a reasonable bargain. Old habits do die hard though. She began going over her observations of the past few weeks in her mind.

The captain was tough as nails and fought rather well despite being struck at some rather painful locations. She had to resist the urge to groan at her attitude though. The stealth force was not a straight forward organization, why would she expect the members in it to be straightforward. Plus there's the fact that this was not it's original purpose anyway.

Still, it was well run and respectable so there was nothing complain about. She had to admit that the presence of a little girl was interesting. She had heard stories about this one. Keiko was well known for being an escape artist and defying the laws of physics to get into forbidden areas. The girl was also known for her excellent aim as shown in the number of stab injuries amongst the squad two officers.

It was very funny watching the officers dance around a young and somewhat traumatized toddler. After raising a number of children herself, she knew that children were exceedingly good at bouncing at bouncing back from traumatic experiences if they were around supportive adults. It was a good thing that Soi Fon had gone through some children's psychology books. The girl in her office would be considerably worse off if she hadn't. If the things Yoruichi said were accurate, having someone like her be mentally disturbed was a very scary thought.

She was rather relieved when her cover held. She had been very careful to look up notable shinigami. There were only three other people recorded who shared that situation and they all died rather horribly. The ones who joined the military anyway. The ones who did not were simply married off and lived a dull, ordinary life.

* * *

**Author's note- As promised, Ammy has made her appearance and caused chaos as usual. I don't believe that she would willingly serve people or work well in the military where everything has rules and regulation. Nature makes its own rules after all and she'll remind people who forget that. Yamamoto is just the first. Plus growing and cutting trees was something i did in the game to fill my astral pouch faster.**

**I finally came up with a better name for the Soifon the elder. Chiyo means a thousand generations. which fits since she's pretty old. Hagane means steel which also works for reasons i hope to be able to show later. From this chapter on Soifon the elder will be known as Chiyo Hagane. She'll still get mad when addressed by her birth name. **

**Kesshobachi- crystal bee.**

**Oh, I'm getting the nagging feeling that the tenses of the chapters are inconsistent. If anybody notices any errors please let me know. I would hate for my longest piece of writing to be full or grammatical errors. Seriously, two thousand words is about five pages in font twelve, times new roman single space. Or maybe it was double space, something like that.**

**comments and criticisms are welcome~**

** Happy Holidays!**


	16. Water water everywhere

It was a dark and stormy morning when a window blew open and woke Yachiru. Thunder crashed outside and the rain poured down. It was the perfect day for eating candy. No, that would be wrong since everyday is perfect for eating candy. It was the perfect day to steal it however and that was what she intended to do.

Kenny had said that Stripey -chan was circling between the divisions. It was kind of disappointing that her division didn't get it first, but it made sense if they were going in numerical order.

Everything had been weird these past few weeks. First there were these weird bound attacks, then there was the new kid that everyone was talking about, then Stripey -chan cursed the first division with a ton of oranges! She giggled at the last one for a few minutes. The whole first division smelled like the citrus fruit combined with alcohol and nobody was happy with having their division being dubbed the orange division.

She had been trying to get a good look at the new kid ever since Kenny had told her about it. She even snuck into the second division once to try and get a look, something she normally didn't do since it was obscenely difficult and there was no candy to be found. The only food she had actually found was fruit, dried meat, and a bunch of rice crackers but that was beside the point.

* * *

That day, Yachiru hadn't been able to get more then a glimpse from across the room. Even when she popped into Captain Toothpick's (she was small and thin) office, The captain kept alternating between staring at Yachiru and the door with her eyes narrowed. "Ms. President. Nakenashi just went out." Then she gave Yachiru some grapes and went back to her paper work.

Yachiru actually spent the rest of the day looking for the girl. It was actually kind of fun. It had been a long time since she had this much trouble catching someone after seeing them. Icchi didn't count since Ken -chan was the one who fought him and tied. Nobody won because Icci was cheating.

Anyway, the girl had scruffy, curly, brown, shoulder length hair that got everywhere and she was even tinier then Yachiru. She also cried a lot, which was kind of disappointing, but it wasn't Nakenashi's fault she was a baby.

Despite this Nakenashi seemed to have extremely sharp senses. The girl could always tell when Yachiru was nearby and looking for her. She also had a habit of disappearing in enclosed spaces. Which meant finding her was a pain. She couldn't catch her, even with shunpo. Eventually she got hungry and left but not before calling to the girl. "Hey! This was fun! Let's play hide and seek again soon!"

* * *

Yachiru wondered to herself if today was a good day to go play with Nakenashi again after stealing some candy. Oh well, it didn't matter, she had all day to decide.

She quickly got dressed and darted out of her room only to crash into something and fall on her rump.

...

...

...

It was a boy.

The boy looked like he was about her age, only he had short white hair that was standing on end, gold eyes, and two small horizontal stripes across his face. He wore a hakama over what looked like a cream colored kimono with red jagged streaks. She couldn't really tell since she would have to undress him and she didn't want to get shocked by the rod he had tucked into his belt. It crackled with electricity and she could feel the charge coming from it.

The boy looked at her curiously for a few moments before offering a hand and helping her up.

The boy then attempted to smooth out her hair, which had stood up when she touched him, but huffed in frustration and gave up after a few moments.

Yachiru giggled and tried to flatten her own hair with limited success before introducing herself. "I'm Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi. Who are you and what are you doing outside my room?" She asked.

The boy shrugged and started shuffling off. "Father says I am not supposed to talk to kids. Many apologies for waking you and causing you to fall."

Yachiru frowned and followed him outside but stayed under the roof where as the boy walked out into the rain. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" She demanded as she began flaring her reiatsu. "Tell me or I'm gonna get mad."

The boy turned and stared at her for a few moments before collapsing into the form of a white tiger cub and disappearing with a flash of lightning.

* * *

Kenpachi Zaraki was usually a very deep sleeper. Very few things could wake him up, the most well known one was the sound of a good fight breaking out. Injuries probably would wake him but there aren't many shinigami in should society who had enough power to break skin. The number of people who can make him bleed and were willing to be the one who woke him up were even less.

Yachiru squealing and jumping on him however, was another method.

"Kenny! Kenny!" She called as she started bouncing on him. "I found Stripey -chan's cousin! It was this really cute tiger cub! I tried to catch it but it shocked me" She gestured to her hair, which looked like a colorful clown wig he had seen in the living world. "He mentioned a father which means that there might be someone for you to fight!"

"Heh, That sounds fucking Fantastic! Now git off me 'chiru. I gotta find the thing." He grinned.

* * *

Amaterasu was doing her assigned duties, namely, keeping the girl entertained and training the recruits. The storm indicating to her that Gekkigami was currently active. He was likely where there were others who thought like he did.

It seemed that Captain Soi Fon had over estimated the perceptiveness of her officers as well as herself, seeing as nobody but the child could actually hear her, or see her markings. It wasn't too surprising since children were often more perceptive then adults. Then again, Soi Fon seemed to be getting a bit better about it after the flooding incident.

Soi Fon had acquired a set of children's clothes and promptly tossed both Keiko and Amaterasu into the kitchen sink to wash them. It was good timing since baking soda could only do so much against body odor. Keiko was rather calm about being scrubbed. The girl had attempted to wash herself a number of times but had some difficulties such as being too small to reach the faucet reliably, the only soap readily available in the barracks was a heavy duty poison neutralizing soap which was very unpleasant on her skin and eyes, and the large mess that resulted from the combination of the above.

Yoruichi had found the situation to be hilarious and offered to wash the girl herself. Soi Fon who became mortified at the idea of her beloved mentor having to dirty her hands with childcare immediately took it upon herself to ensure the hygiene of the girl.

This lead to another discovery on her part. Amaterasu's holy marks had begun to make themselves visible to the young captain. Unfortunately for everyone involved Soi Fon believed that Keiko had drawn the marks on her favorite wolf. The shouting match that followed will forever be remembered as the day Keiko unofficially became a part of Squad two.

Keiko, in the act of denying the placement of marks on Amaterasu, had flared her reiatsu.

Soi Fon was so proud that day.

* * *

~In the past~

"Do not lie to me! How dare you mark up the pelt of Lady Wolf" Snapped Soi Fon as she rigorously scrubbed at Amaterasu's face.

"I didn't do it! She was already like that!" Shrieked Nakenashi. She couldn't believe what was happening. Why would Captain -sis actually yell at her about the marks on Ama -ne's coat. They had always been there. It's not as if they suddenly appeared or anything so why was she being yelled at for it. And why wasn't Amaterasu helping her?! Ama-ne knew the truth!

Neither of the girls noticed the cat entering the room through. Yoruichi looked between them, a little bit confused at what was going on. The last time she had visited it had been when Keiko was trying to wash herself. The water fight was rather fun. She looked to the wolf, hoping to get some information. She had gotten better at hearing the wolf herself and hopefully she could get more answers. "What are they fighting about?"

_-The placement of my marks. Kindly tell them to cease. This soap is most unpleasant.-_

Contrary to popular belief. Amaterasu did not have anything against baths. In fact, she often enjoyed sitting up to her neck in water so long as it was clean. She did however, have an intense dislike for soap. It always left an unnatural scent and a revolting residue in her fur. The smells from the soap itself were often strong enough to make her eyes burn. She had no problem with the usage of soap, she understood its necessity in removing toxic components, so long was it was kept to cleaning objects but it was disgusting when used on the body. She had to forcibly stop herself from curling her lips and snarling several times as it would've exacerbated the situation.

Yoruichi sweatdropped. She should've known that something like this was going to happen sometime. Despite her appearances, Keiko was just as willful as Soi Fon. While she was rather shy and nervous, she would not let anybody step on her or accuse her of things she did not do. Soi Fon was also fiercely protective of those that she loves, even if she didn't like to admit it, an attack on them is the same as an attack on herself and she would react accordingly. Yoruichi had spied a few white wolf plushies along some black cat plushies in her bedroom, indicating that Soi Fon did like Lady Ama.

"What Is Going On Here?!" Shouted Yoruichi. Hopefully she wouldn't have to reveal herself to Keiko quite like this, but it was highly likely that she would have to.

"She drew on Lady Wolf!" cried Soi Fon as she resumed scrubbing Amaterasu. "And she won't Help me clean her off!"

"I DID NOT!" Wailed Keiko in response and threw the sponge at Soi Fon "AMA-NE ALWAYS HAD THOSE MARKS AND SHE DOESNT LIKE BATHS! YORI -NE TELL HER SO!" Then she flared her Reiatsu at the end of her sentence.

Soi Fon froze. She felt rather silly for having taken this long to realize who Nakenashi had been referring to when she spoke of a Yorine. She had to give credit to the girl for having the sense not to physically describe someone. But it was rather obvious from her speech impediment. Marechiyo became Marecho, Byakuya became Bakuya after the fish pervert thing passed, Yoruichi would become Yorichi and then _Yori -ne_. It did nothing to quell her anger at the injustice done to Lady wolf however and she resumed rigorously cleaning the wolf. The damn paint wouldn't come off.

On the other hand, She had confirmation that someone had trained the girl. Who ever did it must be very good at controlling the reiatsu output. If it wasn't for Nakenashi's laughably obvious blunders, she would've actually been fooled into thinking her an ordinary peasant.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TWO!" Barked Yoruichi as she planted herself between them. When the two of them turned to look at her she switched to her human form. "Soi Fon! I expected better of you! You are arguing with a _child _in a public restroom and I could hear you screaming from across Seireitei!" Then she whirled around to Keiko. "Keiko! We've gone over this! No Matter how angry you are you _don't_ throw things or flare your reiatsu! Do you want me to get Shizuma to repeat that?!" Then she looked between the two of them. "Have you no sense of discretion?!"

Yoruichi pinched the bridge of her nose as Amaterasu took this moment shake the water off her self and flee the scene. Soi Fon wilted under her admonishment. Keiko on the other hand looked like she was having difficulty choosing between being shocked, upset, or ashamed. Yoruichi sighed. This was not how she hoped to bring them into the loop, she wasn't quite as good at manipulating a long term situation as Kisuke was. Then again, she didn't have that ridiculously finicky precognitive ability either but that was for another day.

* * *

~Present time~

Well... Maybe not proud at the moment, but after the incident Soi Fon had been perfectly content with keeping Keiko about, more so then before. Both of them became considerably relaxed even when subjected a number of jokes by the Lieutenant. They hadn't tried to give her a bath since then, which was an excellent thing. The soap was absolutely revolting and it took a great many soaks in the river to wash iff the residue. Nuregami was quite incensed by the chemical presence.

Currently she and Keiko were throwing objects at various officers, which proved to be good dodging and reflex training for the officers and good entertainment and target practice for the girl.

Her supervision was not really needed for this. Perhaps she could go back and see the moon tribe member in the world of the living after the work day was over.

* * *

**Author's note- Happy Holidays everyone!**

**Yep, I've decided that Urahara is a moon tribe descendant. I mean come on, he's just like Waka. He wears loose clothes, clogs, the head dress could be ****modernized into a hat, he's irritating to the people who don't know what he means, he's polite to everyone, and he constantly cranks out inventions which i think is very Moon tribe-like. I think precognition would be a good explanation of how he always has contingency plans for everything. As to the nature of his precognitive ability... well, it's going to be very pinkie pie -esque. And no, he is not going to be overpowered. He can't levitate, fly, or use telekinesis to throw swords at people.**

**If Urahara is moon tribe, how come he didn't recognize Amaterasu? Well, in this particular universe a very very long time has passed since the events of Okami. All that's left are the stories and paintings that are worth more then the half the Gotei thirteen. Plus, he would be very distantly related to Waka, so the connection between them is very weak.**

**I totally believe that Soi Fon would argue with a kid. Her upbringing seemed rather strict which forced her to grow up quickly. She would assume that everyone else could be reasoned with or shouted into compliance due to her position. This is obviously not the case with Keiko who is much more normal in that sense. I'm not saying that Soi Fon is a bully even though she comes across like that but it looks like she's more accustomed to a superior inferior relationship between people.**

**I have a bunch of things written that I couldn't fit into the general ****narrative. I might use those as fillers for when i can't think of anything, so watch for those.**

**Comments and criticisms are always welcome. **


	17. Go knit a sweater

Soi Fon was sitting at her desk working out the budget for this month occasionally wiping her nose. Her mind kept going over to the conversation she, Lady Yoruichi, and na- _Keiko_ had a few days ago after she had felt the girl flare her reiatsu. That day had so many things happening at once it took a long time for her to sort everything else out.

That day she had

_\- goaded a toddler into flaring her reiatsu. _

Rumors be damned, that was the story and she was sticking with it.

_\- angered her lady wolf by washing off the markings._

She drew them back on as close as she could get them.

_\- Flooded the bathroom._

She blamed that one on Nake- Keiko.

_\- been entrusted the biggest secret since she walked in on Komamura in a dress._

She could never look at that captain in the same way ever again, even after she learned the circumstances that led to it.

_\- Discovered that there was more to Lady Wolf then she thought._

Soi Fon already knew that, but she under estimated how much more to the wolf there was. She hoped some good chicken dumplings would make up for the bathing farce.

_\- Learned that little girls were the bane of Seireitei._

She wondered if Omaeda was the one who taught Keiko to embarrass other people.

It made her uneasy that Lady Yoruichi had put her life at risk to tell her but at the same time, she was elated. The esteemed Lady Yoruichi had entrusted her with her own life. Her own life of all things. It also made her uneasy that she had a direct link to the faction responsible for _those_ incidents. The girl didn't look like she was paying attention when they were discussing it.

* * *

~After Amaterasu ran away~

"Soi Fon, Can you find us a private place to dry off? I have somethings I need to explain and if any of it gets out to the gotei thirteen, a great number of people will die." Then she turned to the little girl. "Keiko, I know you have things you want to say. Once we find someplace private you can talk ok?"

Both of them nodded and began wiping up the water while Yoruichi shifted back into cat form. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife and train Ichigo with it.

Keiko kept on opening and closing her mouth as if to say something but deciding against it.

Eventually the three of them went to Soi Fon's room where she shut and locked the door. Keiko had retreated to the corner where she sat down and stared at them.

Yoruichi Shifted back into her human form and sighed and began. "Ok first things first. Soi Fon. The girl you have been taking care of, her name is Keiko. She does not have a family name but in public she goes by Nakenashi." Then she turned to Keiko "Keiko, This is Shaolin Fon. Her code name is Soi Fon but since she hasn't actively protested what you've been calling her, you keep doing that."

Keiko remained quiet. She wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment. She was a little nervous about a stranger knowing their names. She talked like kitty and Yori -ne though. But it could also be a monster in disguise. She stared back at them with a slight frown and narrowed eyes.

Yoruichi huffed in amusement seeing her charge mimic her student's expression. "Hah! You've been spending too much time with Soi Fon. Her face has rubbed off on you." Then she sighed the girl didn't pout the way she normally did. She knew both of them rather well, they were both deeply suspicious people and both of them had some trust issues. Her student knew her well enough that she could accept the current situation and trust her.

Keiko on the other hand had only known her cat form with the knowledge that she could become human. She probably should have shown her her second form sooner but it had never really been a good time for it. Yoruichi thought for a few moments before she put her hand to her hair and directed some reishi towards a spot on her head. "You can trust me." On her head wings began to form. Delicate gold appearing from nothing and growing into a sharp angular pair of insect wings with faint colors filling the inside of it denoting the rank and specialty.

Keiko relaxed somewhat when she saw the wings and pointed to her own head. She wasn't old enough for the tattoo yet. but the gesture was to be mirrored if someone showed you their wings. She still found it strange how Yori -ne was still a student. She was a grown up and grown ups were supposed to be teachers, not students! She turned her attention to a spot in her corner and stopped listening to the conversation happening in the room.

-rrip-

Soi Fon watched the process with out even hiding her interest. She had seen those wings before. "Lady Yoruichi? They had always been on stamps and crates. She always assumed they were stylized hell butterfly wings, the sign of shinigami and nobility. "What did you just do?"

"Soi Fon. This is the mark of the Hachidori other wise knows as the Shadow force. This is not the same as the Stealth force but its most valuable ally." Yoruichi took her hand off her head and let the wings disappear. "Only the commander of the onmitsukido is allowed the knowledge of their existence. You'll be hearing about Aizen soon and it would help tremendously with the situation if you were in the loop." She looked at Keiko who was still quiet and continues in a more serious manner. "The connection saved my life countless times before I left Seireitei. Especially on the more dangerous missions. Like with the Hizashi conspiracy. I called for backup and one of them came to me and dragged me away from the danger zone and disappeared before anyone else could show up."

-rrrip-

Soi Fon's eyes widened. That was an extremely dangerous conspiracy she had to study as she was training. It involved some sort of gaseous poison which would induce a combination of madness, rage, and terror in its victims. The casualties in the Onmitsukido were astronomical, one of them being an extremely talented Fon. "If I should like to meet one of the Hachidori? How would I do that?" She was eager to meet the people that her esteemed Yoruichi had attributed her survival.

"The wings act as a means of communication, kind of like the standard phones and hell butterflies only much faster. I don't have access to the details but it has something to do with the invisible ink tattoo." Replied Yoruichi as she tapped on her skull. "The thing is, this faction isn't under Central 46 jurisdiction. The old geezers are scared shitless of them since they have no way of controlling them or ensuring loyalty." She quickly stopped to tell Keiko not to repeat the word 'shitless' in polite company. "If any information regarding us is leaked out two things will happen. The first is that Central 46 will have Yamamoto flush them out and crush them under some trumped up treason charge." She lowered her voice so that Keiko would not hear." I don't think they'll be successful. I was around for the last fox hunt and the only thing that happened was mass hysteria and a lot of innocent people getting executed. None of them were actually from the Shadow force."

Soi Fon nodded slowly as she understood the gravity of the secret. "What would be the other thing then?"

-Rrrrrip-

"Keiko and I would die for telling you. Anyone else who isn't intentionally in on this will also die from a 'mysterious disease.' The tattoo that allows us to communicate is directly connected to the brain. It's how they can communicate with out speaking. It also means that any major leaks will be destroyed" Yoruichi became quiet again as she allowed the information to sink in. She suspected that there would be a confrontation between Soi Fon and Shizuma soon enough regarding the mark. She hadn't intended to make the anti-leak policy sound as draconian as it came out.

She wasn't bound as a slave, hell, she wasn't even obligated to do anything for the Hachidori. She just couldn't casually discuss the members or refer to the faction by name in public. "Soi Fon."

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi?" Soi Fon's eyes were narrowed. The thought of her mentor being threatened infuriated her.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Really. You don't need to worry about me."

Soi Fon blushed slightly. "I er... meant Nake- Keiko." Surprisingly, it wasn't entirely a lie. She had begun to grow fond of the girl, just a little. Incessant crying and mild agoraphobia aside, she respected anybody who could escape Yachiru.

"Right." Came the response " Soi Fon, I trust you to keep the secret. Do you want the mark?"

"Of course."

"You don't really have to get one if you don't want to."

"Anything for your life Lady Yoruichi"

"Keiko and I won't die if you don't get the tag. Only if you spill the beans."

"Nonetheless you have my answer."

-RRrrrrrriiiiiip-

"Alright" Yoruichi smiled warmly at her old student then turned to the corner where ripping sounds were coming from. "Hey Keiko. Do you have anything to say? You've been awfully quiet."

"Nope." Chirped Keiko as she pulled off another strip of wallpaper. Yori -ne and Captain -sis wouldn't know what she was feeling. She didn't know the words to explain that vague feeling of unease which meant that they wouldn't understand. She still wasn't sure what to think so she wouldn't think about it. Kitty had the tag, but what if she wasn't Yori -ne. Or worse, what if it _was_ Yori -ne and she didn't believe her.

"Keiko" Began Yoruichi as if she had done this before. Keiko was not the most articulate person regarding her feelings especially when she was wound up like this. Unlike Soi Fon, the little girl assumed a very blank demeanor and pretended nothing was wrong when she was truly unsettled. She had learned from experience that it was better to ask multiple questions and get figure out what was wrong. The repressed emotions tended to surface in a more violent and explosive fashion otherwise. "Are you scared?"

"No."

"Are you nervous?"

"No... A little"

"Are you nervous about Shaolin knowing?"

"No... Maybe.. A little."

"I trust her. She's very sweet and loyal. Even if she tries not to show it. Do you trust me?" Asked the cat woman.

"..." Keiko looked at Yoruich blankly for a few moments before going back to peeling wallpaper. "I don't know."

-Rrrrrip-

"Are you upset?"

The toddler said nothing but she started to sniffle.

"Are you upset with us?"

Keiko sniffled harder and pulled off another strip.

"Are you upset about what happened with Amaterasu?"

Keiko nodded and started to cry. "I didn't draw on her. Honest."

Soi Fon opened her mouth to protest but Yoruichi silenced her with a glance. "Keiko. Listen. Shaolin only started seeing Ammy's stripes today."

"Wait. Let me understand something. Lady Wolf actually has pink markings on her face?"

"No!" Protested Keiko "Red"

Now it was Yoruichi's turn to be surprised. "Really? It's always been maroon for me."

"Then why are they pink now and why haven't I seen them before?!" Demanded Soi Fon

Keiko glared and slowly took a deep breath. What ever she had been about to shout was stopped by Yoruichi when she got between them again. "The marks are only seen by certain people. I think its the ones that notice the most things but I'm not sure. She has an alternate form that only those with the most spiritual pressure can see. At least, I think."

"Oh."

Keiko huffed and crossed her arms. "I didn't draw on Ama -ne" She repeated.

Yoruichi stepped away from the two of them and looked at her old student with the same expression Amaterasu wore when she and Soi Fon confronted each other.

Soi Fon shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't very good with apologies, especially to those below her rank. However, Yoruichi would be disappointed if she didn't say something. "Keiko. Erm... My apologies for agitating you."

Keiko nodded in response, still sulking over the whole incident and not quite willing to let it go but she could feel her self relaxing already, like a watch being allowed to return to its natural rhythm.

"Hey squirt. How about I get a present for the next time we meet?" Suggested Yoruichi. She grinned when she saw Keiko brighten. "After you say something to Soi Fon"

"I think you're in love with Yori -ne" She chirped. While she still seemed upset there was a devilish twinkle in her eye.

Soi Fon sputtered and turned bright red.

"Keiko!" nudged Yoruichi. She knew the girl had just found a bomb and she didn't want that to be brought up right this minute.

"Heeheehee Apology accepted Captain -sis" She giggled. Delighted to know that she could incite such a reaction.

* * *

"Captain -sis? You're all red and your eyes are soggy" Asked Keiko. "Are you sick?"

"It's that time again." She muttered shaking away the thoughts. She was not sick. The commander of the stealth force did not get sick. "Go about your business Nakenashi."

"Oh." She became quiet for a few moments before speaking again. "Should I get tampons and chocolate?"

"W-W-WHAT!?" Stuttered Soi Fon. Her face turned bright red once more."Why- How?- "

"Shii- Mama says that too. She always asks Enjii -nii for those things" Shrugged the girl. Then she scowled as she continued. "I don't know what it means though. They always tell me I'm too young."

"Wha-? No. Thats not what I mean." Soi Fon shook her head. "Once every two hundred years a group of people... Your people." She hesitated, wondering if this was a good idea. " pranks... All of Soul Society."

Keiko, being who she was, promptly started giggling. In fact she wouldn't stop until Soi Fon called Amaterasu into the room and sent them off to harass her officers.

She had to note that the agility and situational awareness of her officers had improved a great deal once the wolf and child duo had begun to 'attack' them via strategically placed traps and pranks. It wasn't a proper method of training but she couldn't dismiss the effectiveness.

-BOOM-

The property damage and excessive fur was a concern though. It had become increasingly difficult for the stealth force to look professional between the pranks and the wolf hair clinging to every surface and article of clothing. Some of the more delicate members had also begun to get sick or develop allergies.

She rubbed her head where she got tagged yesterday. It was a rather unpleasant experience and she definitely had nightmares from hearing the needle inject something into her head. It sounded like someone crushing a lobster inside her head. Repulsive sound aside, she quickly discovered the benefits when she tried to use it. Namely, access to information that would other wise be difficult or embarrassing to acquire. Like toy sales.

The plushies she wanted would be going on sale at the end of the week. So there was that to look forward to. Perhaps she should invest in another vacuum or air cleaner while she was out.

* * *

**Author's note- Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a good holiday. **

**I had some trouble writing this chapter. I wanted clear up why Soi Fon kept Keiko around since Keiko has yet to really pull her own weight story wise. I mean, sure, she's cute and all but given the nature of Soi Fon's work she would have easily passed her off to someone else to care for right? Yes and no. **

**Keiko is an indirect connection to the Hachidori. She's been trained in a manner of different ways but she isn't quite good yet. One thing that she is very good at doing is hiding and sneaking, meaning that she can more or less get away from people she isn't comfortable with. **

**It's the beginning of things that Soi Fon would value in an adult and professional so she's hoping to train her some more. Not needing to teach basic weapons care and proper throwing form is a plus too.**

**Next chapter, Ammy gets passed off to the third division. Does anybody know what a wolf would be doing there?**

**Leave a comment and let me know what you think.**


	18. Not helping

"Hey, did ya hear? The third division has a new captain?"

"Seriously? who is it?"

"It's that wolf that broke into Seireitei."

"... A relative of Komamura at least?"

"No just a regular white wolf."

"Wow. they must be pretty desperate then. Does it do anything at least?"

"From what i heard yeah. The wolf was pretty effective at training the officers of the second division."

"Well why is it being passed off then?"

"Didn't you hear? The captain and a brat got into a fight and the poor thing into it. Then it got revenge by shedding faster then the air vents and getting everyone in the building sick. I think Captain Soi Fon actually cried when she had to pass it off. I couldn't tell, she was really sick. She likes the thing almost as much as Yoruichi."

"A wolf getting revenge? That sounds as dumb as the one about Soi Fon having a kid or captain Kuchiki having a fish fetish. Where the hell are you getting these things anyway?"

"You realize that she was across the hall from me when I was in squad 4 right?"

"Wow, any idea how she got there?"

"Well, she was babbling something about too much many people talking and had to be knocked out. So, probably a really bad virus."

* * *

Yoruichi blinked as Kisuke popped out of his seat with out warning. "Another one?" She asked "What happens this time?"

Kisuke stared at nothing in particular for a few moments before grinning back at her. "Somebody needs a nap."

"Thats very specific."

"A nap or caffeine then."

She raised her eyebrow and smacked him across the chest. "Not helping."

* * *

Three days ago Kira entered his office to find that someone else had gotten in before him.

Three days ago Kira had been greeted by a girl that could've been Captain Soi Fon's twin save for the demeanor of a freshly kicked puppy and a white wolf. She seemed to be trying to look intimidating but it may have been more successful had she not been covered in strands of fur.

"U-Um... Lieutenant? I am here t-to make sure that L-lady wolf is taken care of." Stammered the girl as she handed him a notice. "She's is supposed to be the acting captain."

It took Kira a few moments for her words to register and he quickly took the note from her. and began scanning it. He sighed heavily at its contents. The third squad seemed to be the current punching bag for fate as their new acting captain was a wolf who could not speak.

He had to revise his initial thoughts when the wolf proved to be highly effective at tackling paper work. He honestly didn't know how a creature with out opposable thumbs could write so neatly. The office was often vacant with a weeks worth of paper work completed and piled on the desk in a nice neat stack, signed with a paw print. Even the officer evaluations were written.

He asked the wolf once if it had a name and the creature looked back at him as if he was some sort of idiot. To be more specific it looked at him and he got the impressions it was calling him a pretentious twit if he was assuming that something didn't have a name just because it did not speak.

How he understood that he couldn't say.

His work load was lighter then before since he had someone else doing it now and he could devote more time to the actual squad. It would've been nice if the wolf could do that too, but he doubted that the others would accept this as anything more then an elaborate joke. Still on the occasions that the wolf left the office it would chase and herd all the officers until they could no longer stand as some sort of endurance training.

In fact, the Wolf did this repeatedly each day, chasing people around the barracks regardless of what they were doing. It didn't take long for people to get used to doing various tasks, like writing, drinking, or while they ran at full speed, only a few days or so.

Currently he was sitting and eating with his "captain."

"Miss Wolf? Out of curiosity, why do you not sign papers with your name?" He asked "You say you have one and you write in our language fairly well."

Again, the wolf looked at him as if he were dull.

"Er... I suppose you have a point. You are the only one around with paws instead of hands."

The two of them remained side by side until the wolf suddenly tensed. It looked as if it were listening intently for something.

"Wolf captain?"

Amaterasu barked again and dashed off. Only to return moments later demanding that he follow.

* * *

There was no time. The show was about to begin and she wanted a front row seat.

Amaterasu grew tired of waiting for Kira to catch up and put him on her back. She ignored his protests when she dashed off at full speed again to the first division.

Once she was indoors she slowed down to a trot and she traveled down the halls, looking about and taking note of the building again.

The two of them were greeted with surprise as they entered the meeting room.

"That was rather quick. I just sent out the hell butterflies a few minutes ago." Commented Yamamoto. It seemed that his comment was more toward the wolf then to the shinigami.

Kira blinked in surprise and made his way over to his designated spot next to his captain.

The next people to arrive were Captain Soifon and her lieutenant.

There were rumors that she had gotten very sick but this was ridiculous. She looked as if she were dead on her feet, with dark circles under unfocused eyes. She was so pale that it was hard to tell where the captains haori ended and she began. Her hair was unkempt also as it stuck up in every direction. She kept looking around as if she did not know what was going on and her lieutenant actually had to physically direct her to her spot.

Granted, Kira didn't exactly know what was happening either but it had to have been serious given the way his wolf captain acted. Soifon on the other hand looked like she had just been pulled from the fourth, which she probably had. He opted not to comment on it as it was not his place. The second captain's temper was well known as was her devotion to her work.

Then the twelfth captain entered with his daughter and immediately began studying his wolf captain with intense interest. Taking samples of fur from the creature and what not. A loud cough from the head captain was enough to keep the scientist from dissecting the creature right then and there.

Then the chaos began.

Once Hisagi entered the meeting room shouts and curses were heard. They became louder and more numerous as time went on until five very angry... Captain SoiFons entered the meeting room? All of them were shouting and accusing the rest of being impostors.

All of them had tried to cram themselves into their designated locations and each of them threatened to eliminate the rest.

As the rest of the captains came in more dopplegangers followed them. Each one identical... no, not identical. There were minute differences amongst them. Some were taller then others, some had more prominent figures. The eye colors also differed amongst each other. Sadly, Kira did not know the other captain well enough to be able to make use of that information.

By the time the last captain had arrived the room was completely crowded with Soi Fon dopplegangers and it looked as if a brawl was about to occur.

"ENOUGH" bellowed Yamamoto. He was expecting something like this, but the timing of the whole thing was truly awful, even for shadow force standards. He needed all of his available captains ready to handle Aizen. Planting fakes in the force would undermine war efforts. Sadly, the first division was built mostly out of sekiseki stone so that he could train with out killing large numbers of officers. Finding the real Soi Fon through her reiatsu was not an option. Plus, the shadow force practiced some sort of reiatsu diffusion technique that made it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of someone which complicated things further.

He never did manage to figure out how they did it. "ALL OF YOU! SHIKAI NOW!" He barked.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" The copies cried. There was a flash and all of them had a barbed gauntlet on their right arm with the stinger on their middle fingers.

Oh dear.

Fifteen Suzumebachi's. The ones who did not manifest one disappeared almost immediately save for one that nobody noticed.

"Komamura."

"Yes Genryusai -dono?"

"Can you pick out the real one by scent?"

"My greatest apologies, but I am not familiar enough with her scent to do so." Bowed the wolf man.

"And you wolf?"

The head captain turned to the other canine in the room... Only for it to yawn and grin at him. Typical animal spirits. Yamamoto knew from the orange incident that the wolf was more then aware of her surroundings, she often chose not to participate out of some sick sense of humor. He sighed heavily as he watched the women squabbling began. None of them actually stabbed anyone of course, there wasn't enough room.

"Captain -sis! Something's wrong in the poison lab." Cried a small voice, followed by a loud thunk against the door. "Your office smells like bad milk! I'm doing what you said so you can't yell at me!"

She kept shouting and banging at the door until one of the Soi Fon opened the door and let the girl in. She froze when she noticed the number of people behind the door and held her stuffed white weasel in front of her for safety. Then she saw who was in the room. "No Fair!" Whined the girl as she looked at all the copies. "Captain -sis gets to go to costume parties and I have to do homework!"

"Ah. Nakenashi -chan. We were just playing a game." Called Omaeda from the back. His sister got like this some times, better to include her or it will only get worse. At least, make the girl think she is involved. In this case it could actually end much quicker then it normally would, since she is the only one who spends time with his captain on a daily basis. "Can you tell us which one is the real captain?"

Keiko carefully studied the people in front of her. She wandered around for a few moments with the other captains and lieutenants backing away and watching the girl. She looked around for a few moments before she started to point. "Your not captain sis. Your eyes are the wrong color."

The impostor vanished with a pop and a puff of smoke as Keiko continued to go around pointing out the flaws in their disguises.

"Your hair is too short."

"You're too tall."

"You're too short."

"Your chest is too big."

"You're a boy."

"The middle finger stabby thing is mostly yellow not black."

"Your butt is too big."

"Captain -sis doesn't wear make up stuff."

One by one the room emptied out, each disappearing with a puff of smoke, or a splash of water until there were only two left.

"HEY!" Shouted Keiko upon studying one of them. "What's Chi -ne doing here?"

"Hagane!" Barked Soi Fon who was more than annoyed that her colleagues couldn't tell her apart from a prepubescent boy of all things. She noted out of the corner of her eye that the Yamamoto seemed to be rather pleased at having trapped a member of the shadow force during one of their pranks. "What is the meaning of this?"

Chiyo looked around, stlll confused an unfocused. She hadn't moved from her spot since she entered " U-Um... Am I missing something? I got dragged out of bed 15 minutes ago by L-lieuetenant Omaeda saying that I was late."

Soi Fon whipped around and glared at her Lieutenant. "You incompetent piece of Lard! How can you mistake a shrinking violet for me?!"

Keiko and Chiyo looked around in confusion.

"Captain." Replied Chiyo in a loud flat voice. "Am I late or not?" Her eyes seemed too focus slightly. "I have just returned from an extended campaign Two hours ago and I was roused from my bed with out warning or caffeine." She was beginning to receive some unsavory requests from various shinigami and she had missed taking her pain killers. Her temper, of course was a little shorter then usual. "I have also missed one of my pills and I feel like I have been sat on by cows. Am I or am I missing something important?"

Soi Fon, Kira, Keiko, and Omaeda stared at her for a few moments. It seemed that the demure woman they had seen earlier, became a demon with out the presence of sleep and caffeine. "No. You are dismissed." Replied Soi Fon quietly, a little stunned at the display of dominance.

"Thank you captain" Chiyo replied stiffly and stalked out of the meeting room.

Keiko turned to Soi Fon with awe in her voice. "Wow. Chi -ne is scary AND nice."

* * *

**Author's note- You have absolutely no idea how many pranks I went over in my head before picking this one.**

**Heres a few-**

**-Alter all the statues in seireitei so that they look like they are giving central 46 the finger.**

**-Dye all the captains haori gray. I mean all of them, not just the ones they owned.**

**-Playing polka music over the intercom. Or opera.**

**-Stealing everybody's left shoe. or right sock**

**-Switching the numerical order of the divisions. The third division sign would be replaced with the eighth division number but not the flower.**

**-Bleaching all the shihakusho's unevenly.**

**-Super glueing every chair into place. But not the desks and tables.**

**-replacing all the ink with disappearing ink. or the papers with edible ones.**

**-Loading Yachiru up with coffee candy.**

**-Greasing the toilet seats. or brush and pen handles.**

**-Food coloring in the pipes for colored water.**

**Yeah. I was going for pranks that cause chaos, not misery. I am a believer that the best prank should cause dismay from the victim and laughter from everyone else.**

**Comments and criticisms are welcome.**


	19. Filler: In which Yoru gets hit by bread

Kisuke Urahara was in his lab working on a new invention, the portable gigai when he froze.

_Nothing so short and sweet like overkill._

He shook his head a few times to get the thought out of his head, or at least so that it wasn't the only thing he could think about.

He had been getting those thoughts, prophecies in a sense, since he was a child. They tended to interrupt what ever he was doing. He saw it as a curse until one of them lead him his good friend Yoruichi. He could still remember it actually. A flash of purple, cookies, a baguette. When he was younger predictions tended to show up as a bizarre jumble of images, sounds, smells, and compulsions, now it was usually a statement that was usually vague, eerily specific, or a combination of the two.

He still laughed at Yoruichi's reaction when they met all those centuries ago. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

* * *

"HEY!" Shouted a small purple haired girl as swatted at the darkness, trying to hit who ever had the nerve to strike her. It was her birthday and she wanted those cookies. "WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DARE YOU STRIKE YORUICHI SHI- mph!" She gagged as something was shoved into her mouth.

"Shhh!" He hissed. "You'll wake up everyone!" Then he struck her again with his baguette. "Besides. You're not supposed to be here!" He was a little annoyed. The kitchen staff and the cleaning staff were the only people who knew he lived here and they were sworn to secrecy. He was promised that no one would be here on his birthday so that he could enjoy a few moments of freedom before running errands underground again. He liked his secret tunnels but it got stuffy in there.

"It's my birthday. I can go anywhere I want! Besides, I live here." Sniffed the girl.

"Funny. It's my birthday and I live here too." His hair started glowing slightly with irritation; just enough to show that he was there but not enough to reveal what he looked like.

"No you don't! Who are you anyway?! Show your self!" She demanded as she fumbled for a match and lit her candle.

Kisuke only blinked when the girl screeched again as he blew out the candle before she could get a better look at him. Then just to mess with her a little he hit her again with his baguette then went back into his cupboard, and sat inside the tunnel behind it until the girl left.

This would repeat itself each time the kitchen was empty and Yoruichi decided to steal from the cookie jar.

Day after day, year after year.

Until one one day she thought to bring a lantern instead of a candle and the rest was history.

* * *

"Another one? I hope its something we can use against Aizen." Called a voice behind him.

"Hah. Yoruichi -san. You caught me by surprise. How was Keiko -san?"

"She's being a loveable scamp and some how managing to impress shinigami, get in trouble and weasel her way back out despite being too scared to leave the second division barracks." She her eyes softened a little as she went on. "She did start picking up some of Soi Fon's habits though. Honestly, it's like cable those two."

"She sounds like you Yoruichi -san. Or at least how you were when we were children." He reached into a compartment in his desk and began writing."

"I was not a brat. I was an insufferably spoiled princess." She shook her head at the old memories and continued. "Who couldn't keep her servant boy on a leash."

"Indeed you were." He ducked under her punch. There was valuable equipment here and it wouldn't do for him to get hit and loose track . "Perhaps I should go with you one day and meet Keiko for my self. She sounds rather interesting."

"Oh I'm sure you two will get on just fine provided she doesn't have a panic attack when you start talking." She sighed heavily. "I mean, I'm pretty sure she actually remembers how she died. She shows signs of it anyway." Yoruichi thought back to those moments where the girl, as if possessed by a hollow, would scream continuously, violently lash at who ever was nearby (Usually herself in cat form) and try to strangle them, or claw at herself until she bled. She had asked around if this sort of thing was normal for children who awoke in the 75th district of rukongai and when she realized it wasn't, she stuck around until the two of them found a way to manage the fits. "She won't talk about it but I can guarantee it wasn't pretty. She wouldn't let me go when I found her and I know she still can't sleep unless she is sharing someone's bed."

Soi Fon was pretty vocal when she was complaining about that though she stopped when Yoruichi told her about those fits and the fact that Keiko wasn't likely to remember them. The two of them had spent an unusual amount of time trying to come up with ways to keep the fits to a minimum.

"That _is_ pretty unusual. I suppose that time you disappeared for two decades was you meeting her then." His thoughts began to pick up as he tried to recall what circumstances would a child end up remembering their death with enough clarity to interfere with their afterlife. "Anything you can tell me? I might be able to make something you can give her."

"Sure, just stick it in the weasel." She tossed a white stuffed weasel with a badly stitched bow tie at him. "And maybe make it look less like a cheap dog toy. Anyways, Keiko gets reoccurring night mares where she's stuck some place dark and someone is screaming in the next room and she herself is being stared at by someone who is standing right in front of a bright light. Oh and the screaming from next door is apparently accompanied by a very polite male voice which is then followed by more screaming." Then she told him about the occasional fits of violence and screaming. It was a good thing Keiko was still small enough that she can't seriously hurt the people around her.

"Well that isn't disturbing at all." Kisuke rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes for a few moments. "It sounds like she was kept next to someone who was being tortured while being watched by an accomplice. I am going to assume that, either the figure watching her was the one who eventually killed her or she was tortured to death as well."

"Yeah I figured. It gives me a bad taste in my mouth every time I think of it." Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she kept speaking. "She's no normal shinigami either so she's at risk of that happening again. Her reiatsu is like a mix of shinigami and Uryu's. Soi Fon was complaining about her forming Kunai too."

"A dead quincy? That's interesting." Seeing the glare Yoruichi was giving him he decided to change the subject. "So why are you giving her a dog toy? I thought after that horribly gruesome death she would deserve more then that."

"She told me she has an imaginary white weasel for a friend. That was the closest I could find to what she described." Yoruichi scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I tried sewing some clothes for it, but I'm a seamstress as much as the Fon family are cooks."

"I think you are exaggerating a little Yoruichi -san. There hasn't been a Fon family member that could make edible food in a milenium." He shrugged then added. "Your sewing problem is just you."

He yelped as Yoruichi chopped the top of his head again.

"Anyway, if word gets out I think your old third seat might want a crack at her since she doesn't use arrows very much."

"Well a quincy soul that doesn't use arrows. I'd love to take a look at her myself" Upon noting Yoruichi's glare. "Only if the child lets me of course."

"Uh huh. Damn right." She leaned over him to take a look at his latest prophetic quote. "Keep it short and sweet with over kill? Thats possibly the most specific one yet." She snarked as she rolled her eyes. Then again, Kisuke would probably know if it had to do with Aizen or not. "I hope your planning something like those pranks you pulled on me when you were younger."

"You still remember those?"

"How can I forget? You have, beaten me with a baguette, convinced me that you were imaginary, dug a bunch of tunnels within my old house and jumped me in the middle of the night more then once, spiked my lunch with pepper, and saved my life. Honestly Kisuke, I'm old but not that old." She grinned fiendishly as she continued. "I got even once I started getting combat training though."

"Did you? Because you haven't stopped attacking me since then."

"Thats because you usually deserve it, genius." Yoruichi rolled her eyes again and smacked him. "I'm going somewhere. See ya."

Then she transformed into a cat and casually strolled out of his lab with out so much as another word.

Most people would've found her exit to be rude and offensive.

Kisuke didn't mind though, leaving like that was just a silent promise they they would see each other again no matter how much time had passed.

Besides, he had a portable gigai to work on and a spell to design.

* * *

**Author's note- I wrote this a while ago but I couldn't figure out a way to work it into the main narrative. Plus its a little clumsily written i think. Still, i think the conversation is something that Yoruichi and Urahara would have. Plus, I wanted to come up with a semiplausible story of how they met.**

**There you go, information on Urahara's moontribe -ness and his first meeting with Yoruichi, and some minor stuff about Keiko. I did a little research on child psychology, apparently people who are really traumatized and repress stuff like that are the ones most likely to slip into a trance and get violent. Though, if someone has more information on that let me know.**

**This happens before the previous chapter.**

**Comments are always welcome. ^_^**


	20. Some Things Come to Light

The entire room was silent after the whole prank was over and done with.

Some of the people, like Matsumoto, Renji, and Omaeda found the joke to be very amusing and were struggling to contain their amusement.

Some people like Yachiru didn't even bother hiding it and laughed at the unfortunate victim. Amaterasu would have laughed too had she been able. Instead she merely grinned with her tongue hanging out the side.

The rest of them were simply embarrassed (Ukitake and Nanao), confused (Kira, Iba, and Momo), or enraged (Yamamoto and Soi Fon).

Yamamoto stamped his staff on the wet floors to silence the whispers. "Silence!" He looked around and everybody became quiet. "While I would normally send you all to hunt them down we have bigger problems. We have received information about Aizen." The mood darkened at once. The memory of his betrayal still clear in their mind. "He has arranged for the abduction of one of Ichigo Kurosaki's friends. He currently resides in Hueco Mundo."

Even Amaterasu dropped her grin and sat up.

"He has also planned for the destruction of Karakura Town. More information will be sent to you individually at a later time."

"Hey Yama -jii. You do realize that Kurosaki will no doubt go into Hueco Mundo right?" Suggested Shunsui. "That boy is loyal to a fault and he will go to the ends of the world for his friends."

"That has been accounted for, Captain Kuchiki. Once this meeting has ended you and your lieutenant are to go and bring the boy and his company here where they can be kept on a watch."

The nobleman nodded, those who knew him well could feel the dread radiating from him. The others who had encountered the abnormally powerful human could relate. Stopping him from going to his friends would be like stopping a waterfall.

Evidently Amaterasu agreed with the thought as she barked out in response. _-I am fairly certain there are better if not more efficient ways to handle the situation.-_

"What is it Captain wolf?" Asked her lieutenant. "You seem to be rather annoyed"

The wolf rolled her eyes and stared at the head captain. The old man really was like Mr. Orange. It seems he has his soul if not the memory anyway. He was used to being in charge and not being challenged hence his more unprofessional reactions to her activities. She found his dislike of oranges to be extremely amusing.

"Miss Wolf, do you have a problem with this plan?" asked Yamamoto in a dangerous voice. "I do not suffer fools lightly."

_-Neither do I. Only fools would try to stop a river from rushing to the sea.-_

Amaterasu simply rolled her eyes again and put her head back down. Mr. Orange was no doubt the most powerful soul reaper in soul society and talented he was Not one of the best tacticians. That title is awarded to Shunsui Kyoraku.

Yamamoto would normally ignore such responses, but when Komamura began looking between the wolf and him self he knew he had to rethink the strategy. The two wolf captains knew each other better then he knew either one of them. Komamura had mentioned before that his clan policy was usually along the lines of might makes right. It was one of the reasons for his loyalty even if it wasn't the biggest one. The fact that he was caught between the wolf woman's authority and himself meant that she had power levels equal or exceeding his own.

He was not accustomed to being challenged on a mental level. At least not directly, it had always been politicians from Central 46 continuously attempting to undermine his command over the gotei 13 through decade long plans and the like. Most of the time it was simply him getting caught in the cross fire between nobles. Sadly he was blind sided when the recent conspiracy came from within his own ranks.

He should've known better then to trust someone with a zanpakuto like that. Especially considering they reflect the nature of their wielders. How trouble some. There is a high chance of Kurosaki and his friends taking off regardless of what they are told.

"Very well. What you say is true enough. Nonetheless, we cannot risk Kurosaki being exposed to Aizen's shikai. It fools all five senses and he's the only captain class shinigami that is currently invulnerable." He replied. "I am fairly certain that Aizen is going to take advantage and ambush us anyway. Fortunately, we have some time to plan. The twelfth division received some evidence during the testing phase of some surveillance equipment."

Some pictures were then passed around. Most of them involved a variety of white animals or children causing undo amounts of chaos as children and animals tend to do with out supervision.

A particularly amusing one had showed some monkeys playing various musical instruments. Apparently their skills left much to be desired since a ragged looking Tousen could also be seen waving his zanpakuto in the background while being held back by Ichimaru. The scorch marks and damage to the walls of the compound showed that he had been after them for quite some time.

Even Ichimaru showed evidence of exhaustion. His hair was ratty and slightly burned off. His clothes were drenched. His unsettling grin was nowhere near as creepy as it was not as large and was visibly strained. Funny enough, he always avoided the white puppy.

The captains then began to debate weather someone should be sent along with Ichigo, what Aizen was planning, if they might be able to come up with a way to get around Kyouka Suigetsu, If the animals should be left there or someone should be sent to get them before Aizen. Perhaps they might be able to convince Urahara to help and the like when Keiko spoke up. "U-Um. What about...?"

The stutter surprised everyone in the room save for the wolf goddess. It seemed that Keiko was rather good at making people forget her presence, even when she was touching them. The girl seemed to shrink and cowered behind Soi Fon once she noticed that every body was looking at her.

"Girl. Do not start speaking then stop. It's a waste of time and a bad habit." Soi Fon forcibly stepped away from the girl and turned to her. "As much as I hate to admit it we are at a loss right now. You aren't stupid no matter how you might act. Now speak." Keiko had proven her intelligence when she managed to get into the poison lab with some paperclips and a banana. Even Soi Fon herself was completely stumped as to how it happened.

Keiko seemed to shrink even further in on herself as the stares went on. Nobody save for Soi Fon and Amaterasu had much of an idea why she was like this. Most children would be in awe of being in the same room as a number of captains, or at the very least, annoyed that they weren't noticed. Keiko was promptly reduced to nervous squeaking and curled up into a small ball even with Omaeda trying to coax her into talking.

"Head captain Yamamoto?" Began Momo. She was looking rather pale, having only been released from the fourth a few days ago. "I would like to say something. Um... Miss Wolf gave me something when Um... I was locked up." She was still shaken about the betrayal. Part of her still couldn't believe that her Captain Aizen would even consider doing this. On an intellectual level she knew but it hadn't sunk in completely. "I don't know what it was. But I... saw the true corpse... It was... It was..." She took a deep breath to steady herself. "It was an unseated officer. Kotaro Atsukashi." She stilled for a few moments before continuing onwards. "M-Maybe she can give us something like that again? Or if she won't maybe someone else can replicate it?"

The room stilled at the news. Everyone but Unohana, who had been present when Momo identified the corpse, wore expressions of shock at the news. There was a way to counter Kyoka Suigetsu that didn't involve obscene amounts of time. But they'd have to get it out of a wolf that the majority of the room could not understand. The same wolf that some people saw as a woman.

"Miss wolf? Care to assist us?" Asked Toshiro. "You know, with the man that is going try and take the throne form the spirit king?"

Amaterasu only twitched her ear. _-I will see what I can do.-_ A few seconds later she sat up and yawned. _-If you can find Yumigami.-_

Komamura translated what she said since nobody but him and the head captain could understand her completely.

Of course, nobody was happy with that particular statement.

"Now then." Continued the old man. "We do not need a repeat of this event. Therefore I am ordering a report on all odd or exceptional faculty members from all who are present." Thinking upon some of the handwriting here he added. "Legibly please." He gave everyone else one final look. "Dismissed."

"Captain -sis? I can't pick my feet up from the floor." Whispered the girl after shifting for a bit. "It's all sticky."

"What?!" Soi Fon widened her eyes. She shifted her weight. It was true, the floor was now covered in a thick viscous substance. But where had it- Powder and water. The exploding decoys! It wasn't enough to insult her with bad dopplegangers they had to glue her to the floor too?!

Soi Fon was not the only one who was inconvinienced, though there was much less of the goo where she had stood compared to the other captains. She let out a stream of chinese profanity as she forcibly picked up her feet and stalked off with Keiko, loud pealing noises followed her all the way back to the barracks. She was careful not the let the goo get anywhere on her body, it would be extremely unprofessional if something were to stick to her after all.

* * *

Kenpachi started awake when Yachiru started giggling again. He looked around and saw the rest of the room and saw the chaos. It wasn't so much chaos as it was people walking like chickens. "The hell happened when I was out?"

"Oh the copies of Toothpick exploded and spread powder glue and water everywhere. So now the floors all sticky." Chirped Yachiru. "And Stripey -chan make the old man angry."

"Hn. 's the meeting over then?"

"Yup! I got a good look at Toothpick's girl. She's even tinier then me." She tipped her head in contemplation. "Do you think she can fight? I mean toothpick is pretty strong."

"Meh. She looks like a runt. If there isn't an'thing else here I'm going." He slowly sauntered out with out so much as a sign that he had even noticed the goo save for the loud pealing noises that followed him.

"I wanna go play with Teeny." A nickname already forming in Yachiru's mind. "She's really fast, and good at hide and seek."

* * *

Amaterasu and Kira were the last ones to leave the meeting room.

Kira got the feeling that his wolf captain had been laughing the whole time.

He became rather unnerved by how irritated the head captain was with the joke. He didn't see much problem with it himself. It was the sort of thing he, Renji and Momo would do to each other in the academy, only on a much larger scale. It was a little bit soon to be doing such things.

Ichimaru used to pull pranks like that, only his tended to be malicious and unpleasant rather then embarrassing. Once released a number of venomous snakes into all the barracks save for his own and division ten. It seemed he didn't enjoy having various animals snuck into his own dwelling very much. In none of the photos had any of the creatures showed signs of stress, fear, or injury so they were left there. The Head captain hoped that they would assist in insuring that Kuorsaki could be retrieved.

Kira had to wonder how the wolf captain knew about the whole thing. He could practically feel the excitement radiating from her when she dragged him here.

He didn't really agree with her staying quiet about the whole thing but the goo was washed out of the meeting room.

He was boggled as to how the room could possibly have water pouring from no discernible source. It was heavier then then the heaviest of rains, save for the storm that occurred a few days before the Seireitei invasion.

He had a nagging suspicion that Wolf captain had something to do with the natural events that have been driving Captain Kurotsuchi mad recently. That smug look of great amusement was rather hard to miss.

* * *

Author's note- School has started again for me. Blarg.

I realized when i wrote the last chapter that Keiko hadn't actually left. Passing the room with a bunch of strangers would be rather unnerving and intimidating for someone like her so she stays with someone she is familiar with. I was originally going to have her contribute to the meeting but i realized that wouldn't be realistic or in character for her, You know, with her fear of strangers and all.

Ammy is quite proud of her children. As far as she's concerned they're doing just find weakening the upstarts of nature.

Yes, I am trying to make the scale of power just a little more realistic. Honestly, Ichigo gets powerups like nobody's buisness. It makes the later development pretty redundant. Ichigo's broken strength was hopefully reduced a bit with the foundation of soukyoku hill beung weakened by divine rain.

Reviews and comments are welcome as always.


	21. The Court of Wild Animals

Next week, Yamamoto's desk was covered in reports of unusual activity and persons. Normally he would groan and have one of his seated officers deal with it but they have proved to be extremely entertaining to read. A rough compilation of Seireitei's strangeness was published on the magazine under fake names after some editing was done. The rough compilation of reports is as follows.

* * *

_Squad 2 report from Soi Fon_

_It seems that the current division is rife with a great deal of strangeness. The first of which is my Liuetenant. Omaeda is possibly the least helpful Lieutenant I know. He rarely ever shows up in the office during daylight hours and does the paperwork on a monthly schedule, meaning that the first of every month I get 50 pounds of the stuff dropped on my desk! Why is he my lieutenant? The Stealth force are supposed to be stealthy! He stands out like an elephant in the room! Half the time he doesn't listen to what I am saying!_

_However it seems that due to recent events he has become more productive. He can actually get large amounts of paperwork and training done while entertaining a small and very curious girl. He is markedly less arrogant and cowardly then he was before, managing a great deal of campaigns with out my prompting. I would like to request that he be investigated. We do not need a doppleganger stealing valuable information..._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

Yamamoto chuckled slightly at that. Shihoin left her own lieutenant with one last order to be carried out, to ensure her student was taken care of. The Omaedas have more or less kept that end of the bargain and tried to keep Soi Fon from getting too overworked by using their odd brand of slapstick humor. The level of success however, is highly debatable given that they rarely met minor deadlines and their abrasive personality had a tendancy to irritate people a great deal. They were however, exceptionally good at the art of misdirection. The current captain's perception of them was proof of that, though it seemed like Soi Fon was becoming much more perceptive to the human element.

* * *

_...There is also the issue regarding the child, whose presence has no doubt circulated through Seireitei despite my best efforts. The girl shows signs of psychological conditioning. Fear of wide open spaces, for instance, along with other things such as fainting when interrogated, showing signs of a melt down when completely surrounded by strangers, and suicidal tendancies when trapped. It is a good thing that the torture and interrogation department had a good healer on hand, the girl would have clawed out her own throat and bled to death otherwise. She also seems to have a minor speech impediment. I am currently attempting to minimize these things since she seems to have attached herself to me. She says I look like her care taker which means she may have been honed, if not raised by someone who was cast from the Fon family. Most of the cast offs do not live in Seireitei..._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

He wasn't concerned about investigating Omaeda for treason. He was more concerned about the little girl that the young female captain had taken to. She had become very fond of the girl. It had been clear as day since the first time she had brought her asleep into the captains meeting and the most recent meeting where she did not rebuke the child for interrupting. Personally, he had no problem with this. He was fine with Kenpachi bringing a young Yachiru with him to meetings, and she was a very loud baby. He would be fine if Soi Fon started bringing the little one who was much more quiet.

* * *

_I would also like permission to take care of her while we look her parents or guardians. If we are unable to find them, I would like to request custody of the child. Nakenashi is a__gile, fast, and wiry strong for her age. She would make for an excellent addition to the Onmitsukido if not the gotei 13 as a whole. I would hate to see this kind of potential wasted in some place like the eleventh._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

Except the girl was at least part quincy.

From his experience, quincy were like mice. They never showed up alone, it was always in groups. He should've known something like this would happen after the quincy ryoka showed himself.

At first many people thought that the girl was Soi Fon's illegitimate child but those rumors were quickly dispelled. She has never once shown any signs of being pregnant. It would have been very obvious due to her small frame. Now the current belief is that the girl was a bastard child of one of the stealth force members, but nobody knew who.

If he didn't know any better he would've been fooled. Most children her age were at least vaguely capable of signing their own name, Kisuke Urahara not included.

That man had butchered his own name so many times that nobody knew how it was supposed to be written anymore.

* * *

_She refuses to give any names, only referring to herself as Nakenashi. She also has much better skills in shurikenjutsu then a toddler has any right to be. I have never seen her cut herself with live weapons. In fact, I do not know how she got into the barracks and as far as I can tell, neither does she. In fact, she has ended up in high security areas so often that my officers have all but given up on stopping her and focus on damage control and redirection instead. Telling her to go and dance by herself is currently the best way to redirect her attention. She practices ribbon dancing with great enthusiasm for many hours each day so long as she has access to an empty room. She's quite talented for her age too. Agile, fast, and wiry strong. She would make for an excellent addition to the Onmitsukido if not the gotei 13 as a whole._

_In the event that she is an agent planted by the shadow Force, I have had Nakenashi checked for bugs in every conceivable location. I have even shipped some of her blood to Unohana to make sure there aren't any biological means of observation. I would send some to the Twelfth divisioin, but it worry what they might do with it since the girl has an unusual reiatsu as well. Instead of radiating from a source, like a normal shinigami it diffuses with the air and surrounding reiatsu from everything else melting everything together so that it was difficult to distinguish anything. I have heightened security just incase the Nakenashi was planted to make future forays into the barracks easier for someone else. Unohana remarked that it was very similar to that of a Quincy in the way it mixes with everything, but it scans like a shinigami._

**_WMWMWMWMWMWMW_**

_However I would like to add that she is also illiterate and if she really is a high caliber spy, changing all the signs to a code of some sort will throw her off._

* * *

~Last night~ squad 2

"_I trust that this is does not reveal too much?_" Inquired Soi Fon. An ordinary person passing by would only see her speaking to an empty room.

_"Yeah. It should be good enough to pique the interest of the higher ups while keeping them wary at the same time. Plus, its all true even if it isn't very specific."_ Said the familiar voice in her head. _"Nobles and politicians all have secrets they want to keep, the presence of something that isn't loyal to them and can slip past their defenses will definitely put them on guard while Keiko's youth will keep her out of danger. She's much less likely to be assassinated that way." _

_"Shiba Yuki right?"_ Soi Fon nodded _"Thank You."_ and shut off the connection. It had taken quite a bit of meditation to figure out how to use the butterfly connection. The first few times when she forgot to cut the line, she had been flooded with so many voices that it incapacitated her. It was worth it, she could talk to Lady Yoruichi when ever she wanted! Unfortunately, to her and Keiko's disappointment Yoruichi was currently busy.

It was also a little disappointing at how many members of the Shiba family the Onmitsukido had failed to eliminate when they were exiled. Normally she would hunt them down herself with her new leads, but since they made up a good deal of her new network that would be extremely unwise. Not to mention some of the blackmail material they have from when she was learning how to use the tattoo. Nobody ever needs to know about her plushy collection, or her taste chinese pop music from the living world.

"Whatcha doing Chao -ne?"

Soi Fon gave a little jump at the interruption. "Writing reports about people." She studied Keiko's hands. They were currently clean and dry. Her sleeves were clean too. Good, she hadn't played with anything poisonous today.

"Oh. Ok." Keiko stared back at the young woman for a few moments. She wondered why she was being watched. It's not like she was doing anything bad. "Can I sign it?"

"NO. Why would you want to sign it?" She looked offended at the thought of letting a child sign a anything professional.

"Cuz I bet you wrote about me and I wanna sign it!" She pouted.

"What makes you think that?"

"I'm specially weird and different. Marecho -Nii, Yori -ne, and you said that." Came the rebuttal. " And You don't do anything unless you need to do it. Which means I get to sign it!"

Well, Soi Fon honestly couldn't fault her reason for that. At least the first part of her reason anyway. If anything she could let Keiko scribble and pretend to write her name and cut off the section before she sent it in. Or maybe not, It would certainly drive home the point of the girl being illiterate. "Fine. But only because its good writing practice."

Keiko cheered and scribbled a bunch of zigzags on the end of the paper. "YAY!"

* * *

_Report from squad 3 by Isuzu Kira_

_I do not mean to question your orders, head captain, but I find myself wondering how Captain Wolf does her paper work. I also have to wonder why she was placed amongst us. I am quite happy that you did however, since squad morale has improved dramatically._

_I have noticed that ..._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

The court guard squad was also reporting the presence of equally strange white animals popping up all over the place. If they were anything like the Wolf there would be plenty of head aches in the future. The wolf was practically a force of nature. It tore through nearly all of his seated officers effortlessly and drew out Chojiro's bankai.

* * *

_Squad 4 Report from Isane Kotetsu_

_There is an abnormally large white snake with very light pink streaks in the back garden. It is largely sedentary although sometimes I can see the image of a very tall woman in wet clothes superimposed with the snake. It doesn't move very much. Nor does it blink. Captan Unohana and a few others do not mind its presence and will work around it. It seems to be rather lax in nature since its perfectly fine with various officers touching it so long as its not its eyes._

_I have yet to bring myself to approach it..._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

The shinigami of the first division then witnessed the wolf bending bolts of lightning away from the original wielder and redirected back up unto the sky, upon which an even larger bolt of lightning was sent back down and glassed the court yard where it struck. The remainder of that day was spent removing chunks of molten glass, restoring the land and eating oranges.

He was only half way through all the oranges and his squad was getting sick of them. Maybe he could persuade one of the civilians to make it into liquor.

* * *

_Squad 5 report by Momo Hinamori_

_I had the strangest dream where I was roused from my bed with the sound of firecrackers. At first I thought I was inside my innerworld and Tobiume was training me by throwing exploding firecrackers at me. But when I went to investigate the noise I found a large round man in white and red sitting on the back porch. His hair was short, stiff and wiry. His jaw was very pronounced and had two giant tusks sprouting from them..._

* * *

~Last week~ Squad 5

"Oh? I didn't know someone here could hear me." His belly shook as he laughed. "Many apologies for disturbing you."

"Wha-? Who are you and how did you get here?!" screeched Momo

"I am the god of explosive force." He announced with great pride and threw something the size of his head into the sky. "Look upon me and be amazed!"

Momo's jaw dropped as she watched the colorful lights appear in the sky, pictures of various scenes from stories appeared amongst the stars flowing smoothly from one into the other. As embarrassing as it was to be moved by fireworks, she felt the tears begin. The pictures reminded her the simpler times where it was just her, 'shiro -chan, and granny.

It was magnificent.

It was even better then Shiba fireworks, something that was rarely ever said.

"Ha Ha Ha!" The boarlike man clapped his hands on her back, nearly knocking her over. "I take it you like them? They're even better with friends you know." Then he picked her up with his large, rough hands, scorched from repeated burns, and tossed her out towards the exit. "Now g'it"

Momo squeaked when she felt her self get thrown. Her tears stopping as abruptly as they came when she landed.

But when she turned to rebuke, or thank (she hadn't made up her mind yet) her uninvited guest, there was nobody there.

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

Yamamoto prayed to the spirit king that the wolf was going to be the worst of the lot. Other wise the court of pure souls would become the court of wild animals. He was fairly certain that Yachiru would like that. But it would drive everyone else to distraction. Not to mention collapse the government. The new central 46 was still debating on what to do with the presence of the wolf. Perhaps it would be best to keep the other animals out of their hair until they could come up with some method of dealing with the wolf.

He hoped this new one would be wiser then the last one. If any of the old paintings the great nobles houses were real and the wolf was truly a goddess, an actual assault on the wolf would be extremely unwise. So far it seems that only Ukitake was aware of the true nature of the wolf.

Perhaps he could pin some of the damages to Lieutenant Kusajishi. People knew enough about her to accept that with out batting an eyelash.

* * *

_Anomalous Activities from Squad Six by Byakuya Kuchiki_

_The events since the Bount invasion have largely been uneventful save for the occasional sighting of a large white horse. I do not know the origins of such a horse, but I wager that it belongs to the Omaedas or an equally pretentious noble. From what I have seen, it is a steed of the finest quality even if it is rather skittish. It is approximately 17 hands tall and its hooves are in excellent condition. It does not wear a saddle or a bridle but it does have a giant fan on its back. I would normally order it removed from the premises but its presence certainly enhances the view of the garden._

_Then again, judging from the pink marks it has, I also suspect the Lieutenant Kusajishi has acquired it through unknown or illegal means. If that is the case then I wash my hands of this matter. Kusajishi causes enough trouble for me as is._

* * *

Some of the strange animals were less destructive and more noisy than anything else. The report from the department of research and development was both the shortest one and the most amusing one he had.

* * *

_Squad 12 report_

_I HAVE THREE APES PLAYING TERRIBLE MUSIC INSIDE MY LABS! I DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY GOT THERE AND I DONT CARE WHAT THEY CAN DO. THEY ARE TOO MUCH OF A NUISANCE TO BE EVEN CONSIDERED A TEST SUBJECT!_

_GET THEM OUT OF MY LAB!_

* * *

Then again sometimes the shinigami would interact with the animal spirits with out really realizing it.

* * *

_Squad 8 Report from Nanao Ise_

_My captain is currently drinking sake with a pink striped sheep. I suspect it has gone rancid because he keeps insisting the sheep is a woman. After I send this report I am going to lock up his sake collection, then drag the man and his sheep to the fourth division to get them inspected. _

_I don't believe sheep are supposed to have stripes, or drink alcohol. Could you please have some one look into recent lost animals? I do not want my captain to be charged with accidental theft._

_At least the sheep is tame..._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

Hopefully this meant that Aizen would be dealing with the same kind of head aches. Yamamoto imagined that adult animal spirits would have enough control to not interfere with shinigami duties too much. He was fairly certain that children, no matter the species do not have such a restraint.

Plus there was that Cat spirit woman still at large.

* * *

_I have some concerns regarding Chiyo Hagane. I question her mental stability as her competence tends to swing between laughable, and intimidating. Omaeda has managed to startle her a number of times where as I have been met with a jab to my neck each time I have tried to get an accurate evaluation..._

_...Her myriad of medical maladies also has me wondering if she was the result of incest and is trying to hide it. Her file is suspiciously empty save for a marriage liscense, a resume for a theatre company, and a letter of expulsion from the academy. Inflamed blockage of reiatsu vents, chronic pain, extreme mood swings, personality changes, and weak inconsistent reiatsu output are all common birth deformities from inbreeding. I have assassinated a fair few of them myself and I do know the signs. Please send me any information you have._

* * *

-Present day- Yamamoto's office

This made him uneasy for a number of reasons. The biggest of which was that he was one of the few people who knew where the power of the Great noble houses came from. As with most Youkai, he had won their allegiance by killing the head of the clan, usually the strongest. The exception being the moontribe, who claimed they were on his side to begin with and talked his ears off until he agreed with them.

The Fox clan was a straight up nightmare to deal with. While not the physically strongest they were the most widespread and influential. Masters of the shadows, never truly confirming or denying anything and almost completely unseen. The elite of the Onmitsukido were almost completely made of descendants of the damn Eight tails and his fairy queen.

Their fight blew a hole in the fabric of reality and the fox and his wife were each flung into separate worlds. Both with injuries that should've killed them.

Yet the queen of shadows had shown her face and actually managed to strike at the object with in Aizen's grasp.

The Shadow force, the empire of the Fox and his queen was still present and active. The regular assaults on Seireitei were proof of that. Civilians called them pranks, but he knew it was a message. A taunt. _'You say you lead us but you are at our mercy.'_

Yamamoto tightened his fist and began looking for options.

He needed those captain positions filled.

Fast.

* * *

_Hagane is too easily cowed into submission by others. _

_Shusuke Amagai on the other hand..._

* * *

**Authors note- I caught something and i've been sounding like mickey mouse for the past week. **

**But never mind that. **

**This chapter was one of the harder ones for me to write. I wanted to include the reports along with segments of people actually interacting with the brush gods and Yamamoto reacting to the reports. That would've made the chapter way too long so I cut it out. I might post it later as a filler though.**

**Seriously Picture it. Kenpachi and Gekkigami fighting. Yumigami walking around with a mallet. Tachigami getting offended when someone makes fun of his size. **

**I also wanted to give a bit of history to the five noble families. Come up with an answer as to why they are so powerful and all. Then I realized it, creatures from the okami bestiary. They would have ties to them, that would be what made them so powerful. Yes, Waka appears in the bestiary, so he counts too. **

**I think I'm going to do a bit on the Hueco Mundo side. Y'know, find out how they're coping with the whole chibi gods thing.**

**Comments and criticisms are welcome.**

**What song was bugging Kurotsuchi so much that he gave up three gods as testing subjects? I was listening to Nyan Cat...**


	22. Filler: History of the Five

It was amazing how even with the threat of war hanging over them, the shinigami of Seireitei more or less went about their ordinary lives.

The captains were no exception to this. What began as a meeting had turned into something of a dinner party.

Even Soi Fon, Hitsugaya, and Unohana who were normally very busy regardless of the state of affairs had been persuaded to stay behind with a little divine intervention.

That is to say, a large tub of holy bone stock, a very flustered lieutenant, and Amaterasu's presence.

It had began as a strategizing session. Each captain making suggestions as to how they were to engage Aizen. They were certain that the final battle would happen in Karakura airspace due to the nature of the location. There was also the problem of what to do with the innocent bystanders. If they remained they would perish, either from the reiatsu released in the battle, or the aftermath.

Somebody suggested that the human beings ought to be put into stasis and stored in the twelfth were met with protests from all the other captains.

As did suggesting the usage of Ryujin jakka to lay waste to the town and destroy the properties that made it the jureichi. It was agreed that that suggestion would be a last resort in the event that Kurosaki Ichigo fell in battle. Using it before then would be considered suicide by Zangetsu.

Yamamoto eventually decided that they would have to consult Kisuke Urahara for a method of keeping the citizens of Karakura safe. "I will not hear any protests! It is either him or Wakato Uiharu! I have no interest in being talked at by someone of questionable sanity."

"But Head captain! Urahara is a scou-"

"Captain Soi Fon." Interrupted Ukitake. "The last moontriber I had to work with in person was Enji Uiharu. He was selectively mute and would only respond to his partners in what I can only assume to be in french." He rubbed the back of his neck at the memory of being telekinetically thrown into onto the streets after irritating the strawberry blond one too many times. "I assure you. His father is far more difficult to work with, his powers being far more potent."

"I recall that the last time Yama -jii spoke to the man he ended up losing most of his hair." Joked Kyoraku. "Something about the man constantly anticipating what he was going to say and dominating the conversation and replying in english poetry."

Yamamoto grunted but did not deny the statement as he took a sip of his tea; he got a few stares from the younger captains for that. "The moon tribe has always been peculiar. even before they were a part of Seireitei. I keep my interactions with them to a minimum for the sake of my blood pressure"

Of course that turned into a bit of a history lesson in an of it self since many of the people in the room were not aware of the history of the five noble families.

* * *

_A long time ago, in a desperate bid to win the war between the quincies he sought an alliance with the youkai. Five closely tied demon clans claimed the title of strongest. The crow tengu, the foxes, the dragonians, the moontribe, and the phoenix family._

_Defeating the head of each demon clan would win their allegiance. Such was the law of their home land._

_Unfortunately, Ywach wanted the same thing._

_The majority moon tribe clan fell by the hands of a quincy. They were always the odd ones amongst the demons clans and since their alligiance did not shift through battle but through debate. They were systematically slaughtered by the quincy king. The head of the moon tribe allowed his clan to accepted into the seireitei ranks out of sheer desperation. They never did pick a house name to identify them. The head at the time reasoned that since they were born with glowing blond hair, telekinetic powers, and the occasional gift of prophecy that there was no need for them to limit themselves to a single name. Their mannerisms set them apart even more from the rest of the yokai and soul population._

_The king dragonian, boiled alive by Ryujin Jakka. His descendants switched allegiances upon his defeat. They were all too happy about serving the society and not the one who had defeated their king. They were not very fond of fire elementals, but so long as they were allowed to go about their business they would do as central 46 ordered._

_The best swordsman of the Crow Tengu tortured to death by Yachiru. His wife, the strongest Ubume fell shortly afterwards, but not before cursing Yamamoto himself with a life of chaos. He had scoffed at the idea of yokai curses at the time but he learned very quickly that they were very strong and nearly impossible to get rid of. Administrative duties had been a nightmare since then. If it wasn't pyrotechnical disasters caused by the Shiba family it was an intraclan war within the Shihoin estate or a tax fraud involving a lieutenant. Then there was a twenty year man hunt for a rogue shinigami kidnapping the moon tribe heir._

_The tengu were honorable, they bow to those with superior skills and even if their beliefs were different; they at least respected the strength of their enemies. They valued discipline above everything else, practicing their traditions with out deviation._

_ Ubume on the other hand, are incredibly vengeful. They were often unwilling to change even under the most extreme of circumstances and Unohana had been cursed with sterility and extremely unpleasent female problems after wiping out the resisting ubume. Unohana was unwilling to elaborate further and he knew better than to push the subject or repeat that particular little detail._

_The Great Ho Oh gave him a good deal of trouble. It's flames grew brighter from his own and burned the air all soldiers needed to breathe, killing them by roasting them from the inside out. The creature was the definition of obnoxious senior and so the match was very short. Fortunately there was little resistance to assimilation after that though it seemed that the clan as a whole lived on disturbing large amounts of enthusiasm, obnoxiousness, and ham. They did not care much for underhanded tactics and actually cursed Ukitake's son when he jumped into assist him._

_The fox clan was simultaneously stronger and weaker then their reputation led Yamamoto and Ywach to believe. It was led by an eight tailed fox and a strange woman with white tipped hair that had shared a body with a cat spirit. The presence of the woman threw Yamamoto off for a while. He had expected the Yokai to be uncivilized and brutal. Having a Whole, even a one who had been possessed, and keeping it for a wife was completely unexpected. If anything he had expected the woman to be chained up and half eaten or made into some sort of slave. He expected the woman to be disposable to the fox, not a highly valued and devastating partner._

_ The two of the fought as one complete unit; as a whole, they came much closer to killing him then anything before or since. To them, honor was only a word, and pride was for games. They lived by ferreting out secrets and sabotaging their enemies. The moment they had heard of the shinigami assault they had begun to plan. His battle with them was on their terms, not his. A mistake Yamamoto seemed to be doomed to make with Aizen._

_The worst thing was, they specialized in espionage and subterfuge and relished the suffering of their victims. The shapeshifters had caused a decades worth of paranoia from some of their stunts._

_Over the night every single article of food had been either stolen, or poisoned ensuring that the battle field swung in their favor. The casualties amongst shinigami ranks were relatively minor. The casualties amongst the quincies were devastating._

_What would have normally passed for a prank became devastating as toilet paper was laced with explosives, hot chili oil, or itching powder. Socks and shoes were laced with tacks and blood thinners. He could only guess how far the schemes went._

_Using a series of taunts and disguises they fooled his army into attacking the quincy army before either one of them were ready for it._

_Then there was the actual battle itself which ended with him bleeding out of his ears and unable t walk. _

_He remembered how the woman had trapped him in a crystalline labyrinth as he used Ryujin Jakka. If he tried hard enough he could still feel his lungs burning as the fox began throwing large amounts of peppers into the burning labyrinth; how he was forced into bankai just to escape the colorful jail; how the fox had split into eight creatures and choked him in poison powder just as he burned his way out. _

_If Yamamoto attacked the woman the fox would dart behind him and use some sort of reiatsu draining technique with his creatures or summon the elements of nature to attack him. If Yamamoto focused on the fox he would find thousands of tiny crystal shards raining upon him from the sky, or he would lose his hearing and sense of balance after the woman used some sort of ultrasonic whistle._

_The battle lasted for days and ended only when Yamamoto sealed the woman away in another dimension and burned away most of the fox's tails and it fled._

* * *

Amaterasu watched the old man tell his story with mild interest. She was very impressed that Kabegami had stayed with her conduit for the whole battle rather then fleeing as she was typically prone to doing. Kabegami had flaunted about how she had groomed her conduit by battling her each time she fell asleep.

Then again, it was highly likely that the 8 tails threatened her into staying. Kitsune had the potential to become very powerful creatures regardless of their alignment. Ninetails was such an example; he had been able to contain on of the oldest and most powerful brush gods in his domain and wielded multiple techniques against her as she fought against it.

"I must say that the demon fox was one of the most difficult enemies that I have aced." Yamamoto took a long sip of his tea before continuing. "It took a great deal of negotiating with the rest of the clan since half of it believed that death is defeat while the other half believed that absconding counted as defeat."

"Convincing the Moon tribe to take a personal name was more difficult though." Noted Ukitake. "The other nobles did convince them to limit their last names to things that started with U."

"Which is why we are going to speak to Urahara. He is the most sociable and well adjusted Moontribe to be born in quite some time." Added Unohana.

"Head-captain Yamamoto" Began Byakuya. "The woman in red from several months ago with the white cat. The one who resembles Captain Soi Fon. Was she?"

"Yes. That woman was my opponent." Confirmed the old man.

"S- so then, that woman was the first Soifon. Wife of Shihoin" muttered the second division captain. She honestly wasn't sure whether she should be happy or not since the initial meeting was not under the best circumstance. While she was never the one to question tradition it certainly explained how the families were so closely tied and why the strongest female Fon of each generation was called Soi Fon. "I'm related to Lady Yoruichi..."

* * *

**Authors note- So sorry for the wait. ****It has just come to my attention that I accidentally replaced the chapter where Chiyo meets the captains and posted another one twice. UGH! I am kicking myself for that. Especially since i just cleaned my computer and I lost the file. Oh well. Now i have to rewrite that particular chapter and edit this one since i don't exactly recall how the meeting went. I've been trying to rewrite the meeting along with the next chapter and it doesn't fit quite right. So here's a filler to keep you guys entertained until i can get this whole thing straightened out.**

**Ho Oh is more or less a chinese/japanese phoenix. The okami bestiary is sadly lacking in monsters that would fit in the fire department. At least, the ones that the great noble houses can descend from. **

**I came up with this when somebody pointed out that of the three noble families all of them had a name that corresponded to the five traditional elements. See if you can figure out which family comes from what demon.**

**Comments and criticisms are always welcome.**

**Edit- Chapter repeats have been fixed**


	23. Chapter announcement

I've rewritten the chapter This Lowly One. Please read it and tell me my mistakes.

It's surprisingly hard to re write something especially since i can tell My style has changed a little bit since that time. I wonder if that's a good thing.

The next chapter is still in progress since i don't really know where to go with it and i don't really like the Hueco Mundo arc. Suggestions are very helpful.


	24. A Change of Plans

Orihime should've been terrified.

She was in the enemy base, captive.

She had only left her cell once since she was brought here and that was because Aizen wanted her to fix his Hogyoku.

She knew that Aizen has cultured, but she never would have guessed that he enjoyed listening to country music. She was constantly hearing it from her room. Then again, maybe it keeps the other arrancar vicious. They always looked so angry when ever the music started.

Still, there was something deeply unsettling about being abducted and brought to a zoo. Even if what was happening was extremely comical. Her watcher never directly interacted with her, especially since she had taken to talking to the seahorse in her room.

She would see others like him out of the corner of her eye though, and it was very unsettling. They were always watching from the shadows.

At least she was no longer a burden to her friends. If she was going to spend the rest of her life in this place at least she would do so knowing her friends would stay alive.

She hoped they would understand her choice and stay away.

* * *

He had just found a giant tree bigger then anything he's ever seen.

It was made almost entirely of clearest crystal. With colorful blooms hanging off every bough.

"Whoa." stared Ichigo.

"I didn't know something like this could even exist in Hueco Mundo" murmured Rukia as she reached out to touch it. The tree was cold as ice, yet it felt natural, unlike the other trees they had seen. Those were just creepy. "It feels refreshing though."

"Yeah." Someone else added.

Their collective thoughts were then interrupted by the sounds of barking and shrieking.

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Began Ishida " You were playing hollow tag with the puppy that you found."

The group of hollows and puppy nodded in unison.

"And the reason you were screaming and crying is because you were a masochist."

"Yup. It's no fun unless I cry a little" Chirped the Hollow named Nel.

"And this puppy joined in during one of your games." he continued as he pointed to the creature. It was clearly not a hollow despite the strange red marks on its face and the presence of a small glaive on its back.

"His name its Chubby. Cos' of his squishy belly." Chirped the little girl as she patted the wolf's stomach.

A small rain cloud seemed to form over his head at the embarrassing name and he whined loudly in protest.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Aizen was at a loss. It was the first time any of his plans had gone this horribly wrong. No, Not horribly wrong, that would be exaggerating. Plus the summoning of gods using a god as a conduit was a spur of the moment idea that spawned from the presence of such a creature. Since Seireitei had ignored the presence of the god and treated it like a mere creature he pounced on the opportunity. It didn't exactly work quite like he had planned and the results of summoning nature gods were beyond his control.

The hogyoku had damaged, almost beyond repair. Summoning reality warping gods did not agree with it it seemed. Fortunately, the human girl had been able to undo the damage done to it, but it did not stop the smaller gods from interfering with his work. They never stayed in one place long enough for him to give an order.

It was a good thing the number of animals seemed to be dropping.

The plans to kill the spirit king were no longer enough. There was no point in creating a new world if he could not control the forces within it.

If what he called forth with the hogyoku was any indication, he had a long way to go if he was going to create his new world. Starting with catching the wolf puppy.

The thing was always on the horizon looking at him. Sooner or later it would come to him just as Ichigo Kurosaki will come for his friend.

The creature appeared to be a smaller and weaker version of the god he had seen in Seireitei. No doubt it would hone in on the largest source of power which would be Las Noches. Or that strange tree that sprouted up from nowhere.

If he could some how bind one of the white creatures to the hogyoku it should give him enough power to rival the adult one. Surely it wouldn't be able to overcome all of their power combined right? No, he did not like this plan. There was too much he did not know, his carefully laid plans now had a snag due to the wolf god running amuck.

It would be nothing if he knew what these things were capable of. But even after reviewing the cameras he couldn't find anything conclusive, only natural disasters occurring from no particular source. Every so often one of his minions would simply fall apart.

He needed more information on these gods and that was the problem.

Where would he get information on white, two dimensional creatures from another plane of existence?!

"Gin. Tousen." He called. "I want you to gather information on these creatures. Tousen will be observing."

"Yes Aizen -sama"

"And Gin will go to the living world to see what they have recorded. Comb the Seireitei archives too if you can."

"Sure thing Aizen."

* * *

Gin swore loudly in his head. Aizen was changing his plans and it was all because of that damned wolf. This meant that Gin himself had to change his plans accordingly. He had come far and he wasn't about to stop now. Then again, it was pretty interestin' to see Aizen's reaction to the wolf. If the wolf can really get past Kyoka Suigetsu then it was an asset.

If only it would stop giving him the creeps every time he thought about it.

Seriously, he would have been best friends with the wolf if only it would stop giving him that awful look that always made him feel guilty. Only Ran was allowed to do that heck, she was the only one who had ever been able to do that. He was supposed to give other people creeps, not the other way around.

Still, He had an opportunity and he was going to take it. But how would he go about that?

Maybe with food. Animals liked food right?

No. He shouldn't think of the thing as an animal. It obviously had brains.

But feeding it persimmons couldn't hurt right?

* * *

The moon tribe clan were a weird bunch. That was a commonly accepted fact in Soul Society. They specialized in technology much like the how the Shibas specialized in pyrotechnics, the Kuchikis with law, the Shihoin with stealth, and the Hououmaru with music.

They were strange even by Shinigami standards.

For one thing, they did not go outside. The quincy war had decimated their numbers and they had spent too much time inside their compound recovering afterwards. The end result was that the vast majority of the clan had a very low tolerance for sunlight and an inherent dislike for the outdoors. This does not mean that they were isolated by anymeans. Almost every moontribe member had an animal companion, a tradition that stemmed from the post Yami era.

Second was their naming habits. They knew that their appearance would set them apart and saw no purpose in having an actual clan name. With hair that glowed and the markings on their forehead it was impossible for them to be mistaken for anyone else. They also cared very little for paperwork as all of them were had excellent memories and never forgot any details about the people around them. It made paper work a bitch for everyone else though so they eventually picked up a character for them selves. This was only for documentation and separating the members of the branches. Uiharu for the telepaths. Urahara for the telekinetics, and Uzu for everyone else.

Their clan head was the strangest of all due to his ability. The Almighty, which allowed him to see the future. That was the only rule the clan really had. The head must have the gift of prophecy, no matter which branch he came from, and be able to see at least a century into the future. This tradition dates back to time immemorial, before the worlds truly separated from each other and gods and demons alike could be found wandering the lands.

So when the clan head began to look confused or alarmed, a riot broke out on the clan grounds; which was really a series of empty homes on top of a high security bunker. It was an uproar until the odd man silenced everyone by flipping off light switched with a switch of his finger.

Telekinesis was very useful sometimes, even it wasn't very strong.

A rather short man rises from his place in front of a large screen. It was his way of keeping track of the happenings of all the family members within the compound and contacting them in the event of major changes. It had been a long time since he had to use it on the whole clan.

Contingencies for a war, between super powers.

It would be a miracle if they lived. At least his successor would survive. Many important people would live.

The question was if the world as they knew it would survive.

* * *

**Author's note- AARRRRRRGH! I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON! **

**Sorry for the delay but Bleach started to go downhill for me once the hueco mundo arc began. I honestly Don't know how to go about the next few sections, so ideas would be welcome. That and i had midterms in a number of unpleasant subjects. None the less I promise the next chapter will have just a little more content.**

**I pray that we are sheilded from writer's block.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism please~**


	25. Gotcha!

The most complete archives are the ones kept in the kuchiki manor. However, those all pertained to the various laws and people through the history of Seireitei. It is also where the registry of every shinigmi and their zanpakuto that ever lived although it was not as complete as it should be due to a great deal of interference from the stealth force.

Gin had no need for information on various shinigami through the ages so he ignored that completely.

The Shihoin archives on the other hand, might have what he was looking for. It was no secret that the clan it self had descended from foxes although most of the rukongai shinigami brushed that off as a myth.

Sometimes they even had a throwback. Though any trait that was more then cosmetic was likely triggered by some sort of secondary ritual. Case in point, Yoruichi Shihoin's secondary form. Though why it's a cat form and not a fox was never recorded, likely classified for some sort of reason. Which was too bad because a secondary form would've been useful right about now as he was trying to slip into the Shihoin archives.

The compound itself had been easy to get into, which was kind of sad for a family of stealth practitioners. He used the easiest trick in the book.

Gin only had to put on a wig and some glasses and drop the name of a servant to be allowed entry.

He wasn't about to complain though.

* * *

_"Miss Yoru? Some one is sniffing around your library. The clan one" _Came a soft disembodied voice.

Soi Fon jerked and spilled a jar of ink, still not quite used to the Hachidori method of communication, and tuned into the news. Yoruichi, who had a few decades of practice didn't react other then scratching her head where her tag was located and putting down her tea cup. The wings shimmered into existence to strengthen reception.

"Details please." Murmured the former captain.

_"Gin Ichimaru disguised as a servant. Says he is cleaning the archives." _ Yoruichi reached out and forcibly pinned her old student to keep her from flying after Gin. _"Should I stop him or keep observing? It looks like he is looking for information on something specific."_

Soi Fon stopped struggling against her old mentor and reached for her own tag. "Can you notify the Sabotage, infiltration and miscellaneous division?"

_"We have already been notified Captain. The MSI division has three agents are on stand by and waiting for orders. We also have several barriers up to prevent escape but the scrolls may suffer some damage if we activate it. Miss wolf is also here on the rafters."_

Yoruichi blinked in surprise. "Damn, that was fast. Alright, I know how the MSI is about their members. Here's what you can do..."

* * *

Gin picked up his search pace.

This was too easy, MUCH too easy.

He had to leave before he got caught in a trap. But he needed that information if he had any chance of getting that wolf creature on his side. Anything that could see past Kyoka Suigetsu was an asset and he needed it.

Then he stopped when he spotted something.

**OKAMIDEN: Chronicles of the Heavenly Realms and Other Assorted Stories**

It was a heavy tome, heavier then the Shinigami registry. Hell, it needed both arms to hold and it was too big for him to smuggle out with out someone seeing him. But the stories inside were exactly what he had been looking for. The stories and descriptions of the brush gods matched up to the wolf and the animals that had overrun Las Noches. And according to the book, the wolf goddess, Amaterasu was the strongest of them all.

It even had pictures which was good.

It also had information about the Holy Trinity weapons. Which appeared once each era and belonged to extremely powerful warriors.

He was **NOT **going to let Aizen know that.

An Aizen that could deal with Ryujin Jakka was bad enough. Aizen with a holy weapon derived from it was not something Gin wanted to think about, EVER.

It made Gin regret not killing Captain Hitsugaya though, he was almost certain that if the solar flare could be derived from the most powerful fire type Zanpakuto then he would be able to get the Tundra beads from Hyorinmaru.

But back to business.

An ordinary person would wonder why a book of stories would be in the prized clan archives, but the truest things are always hidden inside stories and in jest. This was no different.

Gin had known a thing or two about espionage, even when he was little. It was part of the reason he'd been scouted for the Onmitsukido when he graduated. Ok, that was a lie, he'd been scouted by everyone for his skills but the Onmitsukido was the one that gave him the most concrete reasons. A part of him regretted not taking that option as it would've made the current task much easier.

For one thing, how the was he supposed to get the book out of the library? Students obviously had access to the library, He had heard of students coming here during his time at the academy.

"U- Um Excuse me?" stammered someone.

Gin Jumped out of his skin and looked at the girl behind him. She was a tiny little thing, about the same height as Soi Fon although she seemed to shrink in on herself. The girl had long curly black hair and light green eyes which she hid behind her bangs and a pair of very silly looking glasses. Her academy uniform was crisp and clean as if she had just gotten it. The girl shifted under his gaze.

"U-Um. If you are done with that tome. M-may I read it?" She stuttered.

"Oh, sorry but I kinda need it." He replied smoothly. "Do You know if I can borrow the tome later?"

Joy, now he had someone watching him for the book, though he'd rather have a student then a shinigami.

"Y-yes. I think y-you can borrow it if you let an attendant know. M-my cousin borrows books a-all the time."

Gin nodded his thanks and began making his way out as if he was searching for someone. He had absolutely no intention of leaving the book behind. Not to Aizen or Tousen. He'd make up something later, close to the truth so that Lord Justice Almighty doesn't get suspicious.

* * *

Chiyo watched the man in disguise saunter off before removing her contacts and glasses. She quickly pinned up her hair with a few pencils she spied lying around and scaled the book shelf so that she could follow him. The other members of the operation quietly sealed off the area with some old artifacts to minimize any damage.

It was a good thing that none of her teammates had much reikyrou to use. Despite her lack of experience with shinigami, Chiyo was almost certain that someone at captain level would be able to sense the tiniest bursts that marked their movements otherwise.

Lady Amaterasu really had no other purpose in this operation then to be the backup. It sounded rather insulting for the goddess to have such a small role. Or so the other Shinigami had thought, but-

_-It's not. We have better things to do then help mortals with their problems. The less involved we are the more time we can devote to other things that matter.- meowed the barrier goddess._

Shinigami were weird and narrow minded. They tended to forget that the word Shinigami was an occupation, and not a separate kind of being. Gods did not bow to mortals only to other gods. The Whole, Aizen, had forgotten that and because of this, his plan to kill the spirit king and reign over gods would be doomed to failure. Fundamentally he was a Whole and no matter what he did to it, He would remain a whole albeit a heavily mutated one.

This was what separated Aizen from the man she was to capture. This one was acutely aware of what he played a small part in things. The way he moved was part of it. Ichimaru's steps were always firm and with purpose, like he had a place to go. Aizen's on the other hand were stiff and heavy, as if he did not have a particular destination but he would crush anything that dared to get in his way.

Chiyo pulled a few senbon laced with reiatsu burning poison and positioned them carefully between her fingers.

More then a millenia of practice meant that she would get the first blow in and did the most damage.

But the restraints of her cover and orders meant that she couldn't kill him with out getting into serious trouble.

...

Pity.

* * *

"I don't mean any disrespect Lady Yoruichi, but are your sure that a live capture is possible with just the MSI division and Hagane?" Fidgeted Soi Fon. She wanted to be the one to take down the traitor. It should be her going up against the ex captain. Her mildly disturbing doppleganger would have to do.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem. They guys in MSI are better at this sort of thing then the Punishment force. Especially since there are already agents planted in the area."

"But, it's Ichimaru. He'd kill them! Then what about the archives?! And why Hagane?!"

"Shaolin. I hate to break it to you, but Captain level shinigami are way more common then you think. Hagane was already there and on hand and she was recommended for the punishment for for a reason. The hachidori have had a lot of practice taking on someone that's captain level." Yoruichi rolled her shoulders remembering the pain from some of those practice runs. Rifles hurt like hell. "And if the archives get damaged I can probably get Kisuke to rewrite it."

"What does _That_ Man have to do with any of this?"

"Well, we were raised by the commander of the MSI division, who had us copy everything in there over and over as forgery practice. I just can't be bothered to rewrite a bunch of documents."

"What?!"

"Shizu was one murderous bitch, I swear one little mistake and I got smacked." Ranted Yoruichi to no one in particular, but with tones of amusement mixed in. "I could probably recite the list of embarrassing deaths in my sleep. I wonder if she is still training new recruits like that. It's very effective"

"My Aunt is still in the office? I thought she quit and moved out of Seireitei! I've never gotten any paper work other then minor budget requests! Who does she report to?"

Yoruichi looked thoughtful for a few moments. "She's supposed to report to the commander of the Onmitsukido." She glanced at Soi Fon "And the commander of the MSI is traditionally the spouse of the commander to protect the members of that particular squad from any legal implications." "So, probably fall out from the Shihoin intraclan war from my childhood."

"Lady Yoruichi don't joke like that. PLEASE don't joke like that." Wailed Soi Fon, not quite wiling to think about the last statement. "My Aunt is almost as bloodthirsty as Kenpachi! I have no desire to stay in her presence for extended time!"

Yoruichi snorted with laughter. Of course her psuedo little sis would have trouble dealing with someone just as hard headed, unyielding, (and violent) as she was. "Relax. The MSI all have multiple jobs and they manage themselves well. I know Shizu was a teacher in the academy at one point. I wouldn't be surprised if someone from the division is reporting to you along with someone from the Hachidori. They over lap and either way you get the information you need."

Soi Fon nodded and sighed in relief. "Oh Good. I don't want to think of what would happen if she ever met Kenpachi."

Yoruichi paled and shuddered a little. "Good god. They'd kill each other. Either on the battle field or in bed."

Then both women paused and stared at each other before Soi Fon put her head between her hands and moaned. "Thank you for that highly disturbing image."

"Don't think I like that idea either."

* * *

**THUNK! **

He'd been caught, before he could even detect his attacker. He hadn't heard nor sensed anything before he felt his back ribs shatter.

He dropped his tome and reached for his Zanpakuto. "Ikorose shin-" But he was cut off by a hand grabbing his hair and slamming his into the wall. He could feel something pin his sword hand to the wall and Shinsou being ripped away.

Stunned and reeling from the assault he turned to look at his captor.

_Soi Fon? _No, that wouldn't be right. Soi Fon wouldn't have struck while indoors. She probably would have flown into a rage once she got close or waited until he had left so as not to damage Shihoin property. She would have struck to kill, not capture. He would have heard her stick her sword somewhere.

Besides, her style of fighting favored a wide open space, not the cramped halls of the archive, where her speed was handicapped. Who ever this was, it was a close combat specialist.

A rukongai Shinigami and a weak one at that. The one's born in seireitei had a habit of announcing their presence by speaking.

He staggered and flared his own reiatsu and he could feel other people collapse under its weight.

* * *

Matsumoto jerked out of her seat when she felt a familiar reiatsu wash over her.

_Gin?_

* * *

But one front of him didn't even flinch.

Instead she charged at him-

"Hado-" He choked out as his head swam. The knife pinning him to the wall must've had something on it.

\- twisted at the last second-

"-number-" _What was he casting again?_

\- and slammed her fist into his sternum. Knocking him against the wall and collapsing a few book shelves.

He had to get out though. He needed the wolf goddess on his side, and he couldn't do that if he was captured. He-

He thought he saw something white and furry slam into him again and knocking him into the darkness.

* * *

And that was the scene the Gotei 13 found when the senior officers rushed into the archives en masse.

A petite, hard eyed woman standing over the former captain, with a white wolf by her side.

Gin Ichimaru, unconscious and pinned to the wall by two kunai through his sword arm. He had twelve needles sticking out of his ribs and blood trailing down his head.

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then...

_"Wow."_

_"Captain Soi Fon did it!"_

_"With her Lady Wolf by her side."_

_"So strong and so cool..."_

"Good job Captain Soi Fon." Said Hisagi Shuhei as he stared at the battered body of Ichimaru.

'Soi Fon' simply grunted her acknowledgement and walked off.

* * *

**Author's note- A super quick update to make up for the long delay. Let me know what works and what doesn't.**

**Notes on chapter:**

**Yes, the holy trinity is referring to the most powerful holy weapons.**

**The holy weapons are incorporated into a Zanpakuto spirit and are not immediately obvious. They are not the released states of the sword.**

**I made the MSI when i noticed that there was one unnamed division in the Onmitsukido on the bleach wiki. I figure that the more long term and overt things like poison development and sabotage missions would be sorted differently since those things are almost always classified. The members hold multiple jobs to protect themselves. Seriously, who would want to associate with someone who they know is a spy and a saboteur?**

**Chiyo wasn't detected because there isn't much reiatsu that leaves her body due to her seal. This does not mean she doesn't have reikyrou, only that she can't use it properly because it's so tightly compressed inside of her. If she didn't have reikyrou she would have collapsed just like everyone else.**

**Comments and criticisms are welcome~**


	26. You Asked For It

"For the last time. It wasn't me!"

"Well, who else could it have been? We were there and we saw you take him down." Replied Kiyone as she flipped through the stack of papers.

Soi Fon put her hand to her head. She could feel a migrane coming on again, she couldn't tell if it was because she kept hearing laughter in the background or because nobody believed her. "It was my Subordinate. Chiyo Hagane. She is rather illusive." And a good actress.

"Captain Soi Fon, there is no need to be modest. WE wont be grudge you your marriage proposals." teased Yoruichi before she cracked up again.

Ever since the events from a week ago Soi Fon had been bombarded with various requests for dates and marriages (or duels from the 11th). Most of them were to people she had never heard of in her life. Some of them she suspected were sent either as a prank or with out the other party knowing about it.

Like hell Kuchikis would offer a proposal over something like apprehending the enemy. Even if said enemy was was Ichimaru.

She was also fairly certain that Kenpachi would be more suited to dealing with her aunt, though she shuddered at the thought.

A good portion of them were also addressed to her doppleganger. Those were a good deal more lewd and perverse in their requests. In fact many of them were disturbing in nature. It seems that some of Soi Fon's enemies were using the girl as a scapegoat for their rage due to her softer appearance.

The Shinigami Womens Association comprised of her female coworkers. She wasn't sure if she could call them friends, but she did enjoy their company. The trouble was that due to recent events, they kept pestering her about it. Matsumoto wasn't present though she suspected that she would be found later just outside the interrogation halls, or at her favorite bar.

Of course, nobody here knew her subordinate or that she was from MSI. She would have to rectify that soon.

Being a part of the Hachidori as well as a part of the MSI definately explained some of her inconsistencies. The shyness was probably an act and the lack of spiritual pressure made her an excellent infiltrator. Who would believe that someone who never graduated the academy could possibly be able to hit so hard.

No one. Which was the source of her current problem.

Hagane Chiyo avoided crowds like the plague. It wasn't like Soi Fon could just order her to come to a meeting. What her officers do outside of working hours was none of her business. But, this was ridiculous, She was a proud woman but she was not inclined to take credit for things that she hasn't done. Chiyo was getting credit for this before Soi Fon went crazy. The girl deserved it no matter what the perverts say.

Besides, the sexual harassment could be managed by drawing Suzumebachi.

"Actually, It probably could be Chiyo. I have a nagging suspicion that she's hiding more then a cat in her room." Piped up Yoruichi. "We should sneak in her room some time~"

"Yeah! And we can play with Teeny and Stripey!" Pipped Yachiru.

This can't be good.

* * *

"-And that's why I've been granted a vacation." chirped Chiyo as she combed her black and white hair. She had a bleaching kit out in case someone tried to barge in as well as a number of wigs out.

The cat twitched a few moments before cracking up and laughing.

It straightened itself out a few moments later and opened its mouth to speak only to start laughing again. This time the cat burst in a cloud of smoke and turned into a man.

He had off white hair with a slight lavender tinge, bright gold eyes often seen amongst Yokai, a delicate looking jaw, high cheek bones, pale skin, and interestingly enough, maroon swirls running down his arm. A marker of a certain skill.

He had on the exact same clothes he wore before he became a cat. Loose lavender robes with white and gold accents and a kabuki fox mask which currently rested on top of his head. He had a lean and elegant form which spoke of a life spent running.

He took his sudden shift in stride and kept laughing.

"Madoka, You can stop laughing now."

"Okay 'kay wife mine. But the look on your captain's face when she realized what she was dealing with pretty much made my day."

"I'm glad that Chiyo's accomplishments are amusing to you." She responded wryly as she took a seat on her bed. "It's a good thing I checked for bugs and recording devices, other wise I would be in hot water. How is your cover coming along?"

_-I can tell you that. He consorts with a bunch of ruffians.- Purred the cat god as it appeared. She smacked the woman beside her lightly. - They're your accomplishments too since You're the one being Chiyo.-_

Chiyo shrugged "Why the eleventh division? Didn't you say that Lord Gekigami was there? I hope You aren't using your actual form"

The man shrugged and shifted into another form. This one was much more rough and intimidating. Darker skin, calloused hands from countless street fights, broad shoulders and two claw marks across his face. He still retained foxlike features although they were less delicate and obvious. When he spoke the voice was a harsh growl as opposed to the smooth voice from before. "Heh, Those damn bastards will do a lot of a source of cheap but decent sake. Not too bright either."

Chiyo stared for a few moments before smirking. "A smuggler then? We make quite a pair."

"Damn right we do. A black market smuggler whose really the king of foxes married to a delicate doll from the second whose really the head of her own organization." He laughed. "We can take on the world."

"That would be too much work." Replied Chiyo as she began dying the white patches. Not that she put much stock in her appearance, it was hard to do so when you could not see your own reflection, but judging by her husband's impressions of her, white patched hair would be very conspicuous in this day and age. Especially since she did not look her age.

_-Hmph! I have standards, I refuse to have an old crone for my conduit.- _The cat goddess seemed to smile at the comment.

Of course, there wasn't anything she could truly do aside from allowing the cat to possess her completely or rejecting the cat god all together.

The former was rejected on the basis of dying. Shattered bee seal or not she was rather fond of her life and took a good deal of pride over her skills which meant that she was not going to give up her soul regardless of weather or not it was a god asking. Fortunately Kabegami did not ask even thought she implied a great deal.

_-I think I would know the better then anyone else about the fear of death.- _She yawned.

The latter was also rejected because she rather enjoyed her freedom and identity even if it was ever shifting. Damn cursed seal made sure that she could never see herself, or reveal her name to anyone. She still remembered the burning pain as she was being branded with it and the inky darkness leaking into her mind, erasing slowly erasing everything she knew about herself.

Kabegami stretched and flopped onto her stomach._ -Myaa. The pain just makes the memory of escape even sweeter doesn't it?- _

Chiyo rolled her eyes "Stop interrupting my thoughts. It's very distracting you know."

Madoka snorted then made a face as if he regretted it. "Ugh, d'ya have to color your hair every week? I don't think anyone actually notices when you keep it up. It smells disgusting."

"Well I- yes. The color never stays for some odd reason. Must be a brush god thing." Shrugged Chiyo. "Nevermind that. We should spend some time together. It's been a while since the last time that happened." She got up from where she was sitting and made her way to the shower to wash the dye off.

"Heh. Yeah, last time we were actually together in the same form was when you were fighting that flaming old guy." Madoka grinned "Do you want me to join you in the baths?"

A chuckle was heard from inside the bathroom. "Mmmm.. This one is not against it. I suspect you might protest when the smell of the dye clings to you though."

"Meh, If you say so. Dress nice when you're done. We're going out."

"Fine by me. Make sure you leave a tail behind. I get the feeling someone is going to poke around my stuff."

* * *

"Wow. I guess she really likes her flowers." Commented Yoruichi. "And her poison. These are all really deadly plants."

"A- Are you sure we should be doing this?" Stammered Isane. She looked rather mortified at the idea of poking around someone else's private space. "It seems wrong leaving the president alone while we go through the room."

"I'm just surprised that you haven't snuck in Lady Yoruichi." Piped Nanao who was inspecting a picture of the girl in question standing next to a rugged looking man while holding a tiny white kitten. It was a rather adorable moment caught in time."You were the former commander. Surely you must've had some idea of what was in here."

"I knew she was keeping toxic flowers and a cat in her room. but not much else. The cat has chased me out each time I tried to snoop."

Kiyone, who was carefully looking through a box of expensive looking hair pins that may or may not have been poisoned, squawked in dismay. "The former commander of the stealth force was chased out by a cat?"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes at the response. "In my defense was trying to be discreet. The poor girl has a pretty nasty problem with stalkers as you all know and the traps she set were pretty impressice for someone who hasn't been formally trained. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fight a territorial tomcat with out getting either one of you killed by poisonous death trap?" Of course, there was more to it then just that. "It's not a normal domesticated cat either. I think it's at least part lynx."

The cat in the room did NOT act like any cat she had ever met, a fact that made the hair on her neck stand on end. She couldn't understand a word it said when it spoke. It also smelled of foxes and extreme danger. Like something she truly should not be tangling with. Of course no one would believe her about the fox smell since it wasn't particularly strong but lying about the breed should encourage them to avoid it.

She hadn't become commander with out listening to her gut instincts so when ever that horrible sinking feeling of being hunted went through her, she would leave with out question. The last time she disobeyed that feeling was when she was only a child and she got herself possessed by some cat monster. The sensation of a foreign presence in one's mind was not a pleasant one and she still got nightmares about it. It left some permanent marks on her too but that was for another day.

She was the first to feel it, the sinking weight of something dangerous, creep into the air.

"Ah. I think I found something." Exclaimed Rukia as she pulled open a drawer.

"R**RR**RRR**Rr**rrrr**rrRRR**RRrrrr."

The devil cat growled at them from inside a dresser. He was mostly unseen save for the orange eyes that seem to glow.

"Soi Fon. Do not take your eyes of that cat." Commanded Yoruichi. "Everyone else, put everything back the way you found it and get out."

"The cat can't be that bad can it?"

* * *

"The thing is evil!" Griped Soi Fon as she wiped some blood off her neck. "I'm sure the eleventh would enjoy sparring with it." She nodded in thanks when Isane began healing the cut.

Nanao, Isane, her sister, and Rukia had too much trouble resetting the room, forcing Soi Fon to look away from the cat to help them.

That was not a good idea as the damnably large creature sprang out of the dresser and began attacking them with a fury of Yachiru on sugar withdrawal.

It was much larger then they had anticipated and actually managed to cut open Soi Fon's jugular vein with a single swipe, shred Kiyone's arm, pull out several gobs of hair from Isane, and seriously injure Rukia's eye.

It took much longer then it should have to stuff the cat back into the dresser and leave.

"Now do you see why I avoid fighting it?" Panted Yoruichi as she pressed ice into her cuts. "I swear the thing could probably take down Aizen if we threw it at him."

Everyone else glanced at each other.

"We are not throwing my subordinate's cat at Aizen."

Rukia began to speak when she was interrupted by a sudden burst of reiatsu.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU STUPID BABY!" Yachiru screamed in the distance.

This was then followed by another angry burst of reiatsu that Yoruichi and Soi Fon recognized. "GIMME BACK ITACHI!"

Yoruichi groaned. "Someone go get Unohana. This won't be pretty."

* * *

** Author's note- **

**Another written while I'm supposed to be studying for finals. I should probably get on that by the way.**

**I definitely believe that the shinigami would have trouble dealing with a rabid cat. They are trained to fight people,and large hollows, not catching small animals.**

**Seriously, A pissed off cat sounds like a demon out of hell. It's terrifying. The same with some of the fox calls. They sound like screaming. Combine the two and you get a bunch of creeped out shinigami.**

**And also, cat scratches hurt like hell and are prone to becoming infected. **

**Anyways, Comments are always welcome~~**


	27. The Fight

It wasn't.

* * *

Yoruichi didn't wait for anyone else to respond before dashing to the courtyard where the girls were fighting.

She could already feel the change in the air and it wouldn't be long before something terrible happened. "Shit. Not now. Please not now."

_Keiko was seen clawing at Yachiru who was taunting the girl by waving a rather tattered toy weasel about. In fact, Yachiru looked as if she was having the time of her life where as the toddler was screaming her head off. "GIVE HIM BACK!"_

_The interesting thing was that Yachiru seemed to have a heavily injured, if not missing, eye. Blood was pouring from the cut on her face. Other small cuts could be seen on her uniform. Her zanpakuto lay uselessly on the ground, out of reach as she threw the ratty toy into a tree and laughed._

_Keiko on the other hand looked much worse for the wear. She was covered in bruises from head to toe and her nose looked as if it was broken. She left the tree when she realized that she couldn't climb to get it and launched herself, kunai in hand, at her enemy for the umpteenth time that day, aiming to take out the other eye just like Shi -mama and Yori -ne had taught her. Sparks trailed after the kunai after she threw it._

"Nakenashi! Yachiru!" Called Yoruichi. Yachiru was one thing, but Keiko was much too young for this. She would either die or be locked up in the maggot's nest as a hazard to everyone around her.

_The kunai dissolved before it hit anything, but Yachiru jerked to the side where Keiko pounced. Yachiru was happy. It wasn't often she got to fight with someone her size without flattening or killing them outright. No matter how hard she punched Teeny wouldn't break. These really weird blue lines always appeared and they made the baby hard like a rock. Teeny was fun to fight with, if a little boring. Yes, Toothpick's girl was a definitely a baby. Only babies cried over stuffed toys and threw things at people._

_But Yachiru was mad too. Teeny stuck something nasty in her eye and now she couldn't see out of it. Teeny would have to pay for that._

* * *

Amaterasu charged into the fourth division with Isane following after. "Captain Unohana!"

Then Unohana looked at Amaterasu "Miss wolf. I thought I told you not to come inside. People might be allergic to your fur."

Amaterasu barked with urgency then deferred once more to Isane "N-No captain. It's Yachiru-chan and Nakenashi-chan."

Unohana's eyes widened as she took note of the the erratic outpour or reiatsu, and the rising speed of the wind, and remembered what happened to a young thunder elemental. "Isane, take over for me." Then she ran towards the squad 2 barracks with Amaterasu following her.

* * *

A the wind had begun to blow, oddly enough it only rotated around the courtyard.

Keiko was tired now. She wanted nothing more then to take a bath and go to sleep.

She wanted to win too. If she won, then she wouldn't be a baby anymore. She'd be a big girl, like Yori -ne and Chi -ne. Then they would teach her some of the cool stuff she always saw them practicing. If she won then she could get Kamaitachi from the tree.

The roaring in her ears made it hard to think though, and she was awfully tired. Maybe Itachi would forgive her for leaving them up in the tree just for a little while.

Keiko started to pull away only something caught onto her arm. "Where are you going Teeny? The fun's just beginning."

The windspeed starts picking up.

Her nose started bleeding again from the punch. She tried to run again but she couldn't pull her arm free. "L-led go.." She stuttered. Her head was swimming.

She kicked to try and loosen the grip but it only got tighter. The second kick left her off balance and she was shoved onto the ground.

_"Oh? We have a real cutie here..."_

_"W-who are you?"_

_"Your parents got into an accident and sent me to get you..."_

_"...Y-You don't know the password."_

_"Your parents are seriously hurt. They didn't have time to tell me. Come on let's go."_

_"N-NO. GET AWAY FROM ME!"_

_"Now now. Come along and be a good little girl. Bad things happen to those who are naughty."_

_"GET AWAY!"_

_*SLAP!* "I said COME ALONG you little brat"_

_"N-No!"_

_"I'll box your ear's you stupid baby!"_

Something suddenly yanks her off the ground, the force of it dislocating her shoulder. It hurts to pull away, but she has to get away. "GET AWAY FROM US." She shrieks.

For a single instant time seems to stop. Something whispers from the farthest reaches of her mind. It's muted and far away.

**~Use Me.~**

Ita -chan?

**~I can help you.~**

Keiko catches herself and begins to form another kunai.

**~Let me help You~**

Only this time it isn't the shape of a kunai. Three blades begin to form, Arranging themselves into a circle.

**~As best as I can~**

Each one channeling thunder, fire, or ice. They start connecting at the center.

**~I'll show them.~**

She starts reach for it not knowing that what she made was not what she wanted.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screams again, this time at a person unseen. "Disappea-"

She has almost grabbed it when something lands on her shoulder. For a second she thinks it's that man from _before_. But that can't be right. It was warm and furry.

Someone was speaking to her.

As if she were a puppet with the strings cut, she dropped to the ground. She couldn't quite take in her surroundings but she turned to see a black cat on her shoulder.

And then there was darkness.

* * *

Yachiru grins as she sees the girl's new weapon. She crawls over and reaches for her sword. When something slams into her and separates her sword from her hand.

She hates when her fights are interrupted especially when they were getting good. Teeny could still stand and she was still kicking. Maybe she and Teeny could be like Kenny and Icchi. Kenny almost lost to Icchi and she hurt her eye.

She turns to stab at the interruption until she actually sees who knocked her over.

"Hi Stripey! Why did ya stop me?" She chirped. "I was having fun."

The wolf stared pointedly at the puddle of blood in the courtyard, then at Yoruichi in her cat form trying to ease Keiko out of a violent flashback.

"SHE POPPED MY EYE!" Pouted Yachiru.

Amaterasu glanced at the toy in the tree.

"Yachiru." Began Unohana as she healed the stabbed eye. If he injury had occurred in the human world it would've have been permanent. Fortunately the components were all there and so no trips to the twelfth were needed.

"Teeny Started it."

"Yachiru -chan. Nakenashi -chan is much younger then you are."

"Icchi is younger then Ken -chan." Insisted Yachiru. She wanted somthing like Ken-chan had. Someone she could constantly beat up and fight and still enjoy it.

"Kurosaki-san has been trained specifically to fight." Sighed the medic "Nor does he have to live here."

"Teeny lives with toothpick." Insisted Yachiru. "She should be strong."

"It's not the same thing."

"Is too."

Unohana merely shook her head.

While Yachiru was getting treated Yoruichi was busy trying to calm down her brat. With her cat form as Keiko was more familiar with black fur than purple hair. People passing by could've interpreted their respective positions as Yoruichi Shihoin testing out a new assasination method via enforcing certain black cat myths by sitting on their face and trying to suffocate them.

Keiko had become rather unresponsive and her reiatsu alternated between swirling around the courtyard, threatening to attack anyone in the vicinity, and curling up inside her body, separating her from those who wish to do her harm.

"It's fine. It's fine. You can relax. It's fine." Purred Yoruichi.

"Lady Yoruichi? Does this happen often." Asked Soi Fon. Yoruichi seemed to have a good deal of experience dealing with violent fits. Even back when she was still a captain, she could diffuse prisoners from the maggots nest and the eleventh.

"Lets just say that someone suppressing fear is a lot easier to deal with than someone suppressing rage." She sighed.

Eventually, the wind settled and Keiko sat up. "I'm h-hungry." She hiccuped.

"Of course you are. I'll see if I can't grab you some heavy. After what you just did you'd need it." Yoruichi twitched her tail and begun to walk when she stopped. "You didn't hear any voices did you?"

"Just Itachin." Shrugged the girl. Eyeing Yachiru warily.

Yoruichi and Unohana both widened their eyes. "Riiiiight... You aren't supposed to be hearing that yet. If he tells you something check with me first ok? Or Soi Fon?"

"Why? He's my friend and he's older then me."

This was a problem. Should Yoruichi tell her why it was dangerous for children to access their zanpakuto spirit before it developed? Or should she tell her what would happen?

Should she bore the girl? Or should she scare and possibly scar her for life?

Lying wasn't an option. If Keiko wanted to know something she would ask until someone told her or experiment until she got her answers. She was a bit like Kisuke in that sense.

She couldn't say that Keiko was too young. She hated hearing that when she herself was a child.

"Well. Itachin isn't human and he's still young even if he seems older. Some of the things he says won't be good for you. So you need to double check."

Keiko seemed to accept this line of reasoning. "Ok Yori -nee." She glanced nervously at Yachiru again. "Can I stay with you? She's mean."

"Sorry squirt. I just got a message. I have to leave. Stay with Soi Fon ok?"

Keiko nodded and quietly crawled over to the younger woman and went to sleep.

Soi Fon looked at the cat with a raised eyebrow. "Lady Yoruichi? Did you really get a message?"

"Yeah. Something is up with the Kasumioji. I've been called to check it out." 'I got word of a conspiracy in progress and a request to prepare an alibi for some people.' She continued over the network.

Soi Fon's eyes became glassy when the media of communication switched with out warning. It had been months and she still hadn't gotten used to the sensation. The tag always grew warm when a message came through but it was rather difficult to pay attention to the surroundings when there was a voice coming from inside her own head drowning out everything else.

Still. The fact that Keiko could almost call upon her zanpakuto spirit was a cause for concern. If it happened before the spirit was completely formed, there was a possibility that it would take over the child and kill them by accident, consuming it and turning into a sword fiend, or affecting their mental health.

There was a reason that Kusajishi Yachiru was NOT hailed as a prodigy after all even in the 11th division.

* * *

**Author's note- I'm back! Sorry for the wait. This chapter still bugs me. I might rewrite this at some point. I don't know.**

**Note, i still have trouble with the fight scenes. but i figure this is how small children would fight. Screaming and tearing at each other. I am not satisfied with Keiko's flashback. Somebody please tell me if they're actually like that. **

**As you can see, Yachiru wants to find her own Ichigo in a sense. Someone who's strong enough for her to fight over and over again. Only no one wants to fight her because of her captain and her position. Then you have a girl who doesn't know a thing about her that can actually give her some trouble. It's like her dream come true, sort of. **

**The zanpakuto spirit was something I came up with since i think that yachiru was younger then toshiro when she became a lieutenant and she isn't talked about revered like he is.**

**Hence why people are concerned. Because nobody wants another loony Yachiru running about.**

**Especially Yoruichi and Soi Fon. They know what Keiko is capable of and thats the last thing they need.**

**Stupid writer's block. **

**Ideas and criticisms are welcome. **


	28. Crunch Time

Animals were not allowed in squad 4. No exceptions.

Allergies were very common amongst shinigami, even amongst the nobles. Shinigami always try to deny it but the teary eyes and running noses are often seen around the presence of animal fur.

This rule caused Komamura quite a bit of grief when he first became a shinigami. Prior to the loss of his helmet the only people who knew of his appearance had been Yamamoto, who offered him the opportunity and Unohana, due to the occasional injury.

His initial thought was that she would reject him like others did when they learned of his appearance.

He was so relieved when she did not that he had no objections to treating him in separate quarters.

The same rule meant that Squad four was the only division spared from the chaos of having gods manifesting in Seireitei.

Sort of.

There was a giant white snake in the back of the compound. Its eyes were golden orbs bigger a persons head. It was also perpetually wet and thus a health hazard. No one knew what to do about it. It didn't actually do anything so when their captain ignored it, so did the rest of the medics.

"Wolf -san. I do not allow animals into the division for hygienic reasons. If you are to help the division I must request another bone if you have one."

Amaterasu did as she was requested and handed over the holy bone. For a few seconds she debated handing over a container of Steel soul sake, just to see what would happen. It would probably cause an uproar, again. Everything out of the norm always caused an uproar. That was the nature of death, it was orderly and predictable because it was a constant. Everything ends and everything changes and everything begins anew. It's a natural cycle that always happens on its own time.

"If you could make the snake move that would be nice too. Snakes do carry disease after all."

_-Mizumeru?-_

_The sound of water shifting. -No.-_

Interfering with that tends to result in copious amounts of headaches for every god involved. Mortals on the other hand tended to either, not notice, or distort of the change. Nuregami had always been a bit of a cynic. She was probably not looking forward to the head ache from the Fragment.

_-No. I am not.-_

The results of the flux as the cycle turned typically meant abnormally large souls coming into existence. That meant that the mortals born with abnormally large souls were also born with power.

The interference of the fragment had artificially blown up a number of these souls, leaving them unstable and easily broken. She had seen the results for themselves during her venture into Hueco Mundo.

Souls that had suffered under enormous power and enormous pain. They were impressionable and easily manipulated and prone to highly destructive acts of madness.

She purified as many as she could but the sun does not rise indoors. The human imprisoned there would have to escape either on her own, or with the help of the younglings in the area. Then again, her friends were going to her also. Hopefully they would make use of the rest stop in the desert that the wolf goddess made from the purified souls. Sakuya and her tree were long gone but Amaterasu still liked the scent of fresh flowers.

* * *

Orihime waits until the espada leaves before pulling her companion out from under her bed.

Nobody noticed. Mostly because nobody expected anything out of her. It had hurt when she was amongst friends. The feeling of not doing anything and the feeling that nobody expected her to do anything.

Watching her friend, the snake-in-a-pot crumble after she was exposed to that glowing thing was just as bad even if she had known it for a short time. It didn't matter what she did or didn't do it seemed. Her friends were going to get hurt so she may as well be there to heal them. But first she needed to get out of here.

She had full intentions of leaving today preferably with the snake too. It's hard to leave your only companion in the world of eternal night. Maybe she should make some armor for it, with sponges. The little thing is constantly wet and it leaves very noticeable marks. She had swiped a large amount of toilet paper from the bathrooms in preparation for their departure.

Some time ago she saw a huge flash of light, ever since then the snake had been trying to convince her to leave. How she could understand the reptile when it made no noise, she would never know. But they got on like salt in soup. She rather missed making soup from her apartment. It had been a while since she had made watermelon and bacon bisque. Maybe her friend the snake would like some.

"Tsubaki!" she cried.

* * *

Renji expected the rescue mission to go many ways.

He expected a great battle within the confines of Aizen's lair.

He expected to destroy the base as they raided it, searching for Ichigo's friend.

He wasn't quite expecting to use a reishi heavy tree as a rest stop or picking up arranger as guides.

He definitely did not expect to see Inoue Orihime flying at them with arrancar in pursuit.

"Inoue!" Shouted Ichigo as he drew his zanpakuto for battle. "We're here!"

"Oh great. There goes any chance at stealth we might have had." Moaned Uryu but nonetheless he too drew his arrows.

* * *

_The plan was still salvageable. _

Aizen repeated to himself for the hundredth time.

He knew enough about the thirteen gods that they were beyond comprehension. There was no research papers, only lore which was full of exaggerations.

The Female wolf had been a disappointment. It was severely lacking in power and could only summon subpar beings.

They were mindless forces of destruction that could barely be controlled.

The piglets were the worst of them all and he could still hear szayelaporro complaining about his machines malfunctioning from having whales swimming through.

Luckily the damage to las noches was mostly cosmetic, even when that human girl escaped. It was still workable, he just had to stop her from leaving Hueco Mundo. Practical evidence of the wolf being an ordinary wolf or at best, a wolf demon. Those were nearly extinct if Komamura's appearance meant anything.

The human brats would just make enough noise to force the Gotei 13 into acting. Kurosaki Ichigo would still be considered an asset since he hadn't seen Kyoka Suigetsu yet.

Yes, the plan was still salvageable.

* * *

"Yoruichi-sama. Are you alright?" Commented Soi Fon as she sorted through a stack of papers regarding the kasumioji clan. "It wasn't one of the informers was it?"

The cat on the floor continued to shake its head vigorously, as if dislodging something from its ears. "No. I heard the sound of water crashing. That's usually a signal from someone that's drowning." She scratched her ears a few more times to make sure. "I'm going to assume that its someone else accidentally broadcasting something. Kind of like how I heard chinese pop music a few days ago."

Soi Fon refused to comment and ignored the flush that slowly crept up her face. "Here it is. GyoKaku Kumo. Steward of the Kasumioji clan. Apparently a good number of the recent changes within the Kasumioji clan can be traced back to this man."

Both women stared at each other as they remembered the tip they got several days ago.

_"Kasumioji clan head deceased under suspicious circumstances. Heiress underage. Suspicious accidents have been noted. "_

"I remember him getting caught up in a scandal when I was still around. The details a bit fuzzy but try checking the files on the Bakkoto incident. I think it had to so with unsanctioned human experiments involving experimental swords made from the Kasumioji clan."

"Thank you for the tip. What are we going to do about the girl if this really is a conspiracy?"

"Keiko -chan is surprisingly accommodating. If the Kasumioji heiress needs a place to hide, put them together."

"Would that be wise? The girl nearly went off the deep end with Lieutenant Kusajishi."

"Everyone goes off the deep end with Yachiru. Keiko's just special." Preened the cat. "Besides. She grew up in Rukongai by my side. I think she handle a few assassins. I think she'd be glad for some female company that won't try to beat her up for fun. "

"That is not a good thing Lady Yoruichi." Insists the stealth captain. She refuses to be jealous of how the girl she has grown slightly fond of, had been so close with her mentor. It was in poor taste to envy a child who was still learning to socialize. Because nothing good ever comes from the moon tribe. Especially from bastards Urahara Kisuke who she bears a disturbing resemblance to. "You have a great deal of influence on that child. Please do not allow it to turn into Urahara."

Yoruichi stared at her student for a few minutes before laughing out loud. "You noticed that too? You have to admit, Keiko's a pretty smart little kid. She reminds me a bit of myself when I was Younger. Shishou used to have me prank members of the Onmitsukido with Kita. If we missed the target she'd spar with us until we felt like dying. Then she'd stuff us full of dang and cake."

Then she snorted at the look on Soi Fon's face. "Yeah. Your Aunt was pretty much my nanny when I was growing up. She raised me with a kid she picked up off the streets in Seireitei. Can't say what the gender was since he was always wrapped up in a ton of loose baggy clothes, but he responded to the name Ki-chan or Kita. Kita was cute, funny, slightly agoraphobic, and always slightly nervous. One hell of a saboteur in the making." Yoruichi shook herself out of her past memories. "Never mind that, we're getting off topic. Where is Keiko anyway?"

"Ah. She is-" They were promptly interrupted by the loudest cat scream they had ever heard followed by shrieks of terror. "Apparently being accosted by Hagane's cat."

"Something is wrong with that cat." Yoruichi chuckled for a few moments before becoming serious. She turned and made to jump out the window. "Keep tabs on the Kasumioji heiress. If Ichigo catches wind of this he'll turn Seireitei upside down... Again." and then she was gone.

Soi Fon returned to her mound of paperwork. It had nearly doubled with the discovery of a possible conspiracy. Unsanctioned assassinations were a good source of concern since they usually meant rebellion. Unsanctioned human experiments were also a problem since they didn't want a repeat of the vizard incident. Both typically meant a hostile takeover.

The human children were currently in Hueco Mundo.

The Kasumioji Heiress was on her way to the Living world.

There might be a few days to work this before it all starts to blow up. This cannot be publicized. Not when the Gotei 13 were still recovering from Aizen's betrayal. Lady Yoruichi is right in that Kurosaki Ichigo must not have the opportunity to bring chaos amongst them again.

Soi Fon Groaned in her mind and summoned for her double. It was going to be a long and difficult night.

* * *

A**N:/**

**Holy crap its been a while.**

**My dad had to retire due to medical problems and i had to look for a part time job. then i had to go to china for a month because of some important family functions, then school started and i had to get my entire computer erased due to a virus.**

**I ended up with a huge case of writer's block when i realized that i didn't remember how these arc's go. This was around the time when the battles lasted for multiple episodes and i got tired of it.**

**So i took a break and replayed Okami and the sequel while i tried to figure out where to go from here. I'm still not quite sure what I intend to do because there are obviously changes occurring within the characters and I need to try and puzzle it out. Updates might be really slow because i'm trying to find a way to integrate the past with the present and i don't want to do a Turn Back the Pendulum thing. I apologize for any stylistic inconsistencies but i like to think that this chapter is making more sense then some of the previous ones because we finally get some plot.**

**So as usual. Give me all your comments criticism's and ideas. I could really use them**


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